If you thought time might have helped to mend the bad relationship between Fedor Emelianenko and the UFC…well…think again. A bidding war in the Fall renewed Fedor’s distaste for the UFC and if you thought that he was going to keep quiet about it, you’re sorely mistaken.
The Sambo fighter popped off about the UFC’s contract situation, and likened UFC fighters to slaves. That’s just the latest installment in the what has been a very vocal year for the Russian after a career largely defined by his success and stoicism.
“Hey, we’d bring Fedor into the UFC, but he’s not a real fighter, and won’t fight for free.” –Dana White, Probably
Want to see what Fedor had to say? Find out on the next page.
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Here’s what he had to say about the UFC’s contracts:
“I’m not ready to fight under the contract conditions that was offered by the UFC on the terms that they decided. Contract was just draconian and oppressive. I’m not ready to sign such an enslaving contract. First of all, they should show respect for the fighters — the kind of respect I receive in Japan.”
No Fedor piece is complete without this image.
Obviously, that’s a silly thing to say. It’s not like UFC fighters are forever bound to the promotion, having everything down to their name and appearance taken by the company for life, doomed to a lifetime of physical labor that will leave them broken by the time they reach 30, and paying them next to nothing while being ordered around by rich white men that control everything from what you do, to where you are to what you wear. I mean, being a UFC fighter isn’t at all like that, right?
…RIGHT?!
So what’s next for Fedor, then?
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After remembering why he hates the UFC, Emelianenko signed on with a new Japanese promotion named Rizin Fighting Federation. Rizin is actually run by former Pride boss Nobuyuki Sakakibara, who teamed up with Bellator and Spike TV to help with booking and promoting the show.
Fedor will be joined by the likes of Shinya Aoki and Gabby Garcia at Rizin. Photo by Sherdog.com.
Emelianenko will face Indian kickboxer Jaideep Singh in his return to MMA. Singh is a tomato can ripe for the crushing, and Fedor will be paid a “whopping” $2.5 million to beat him up. While that sounds like a lot in MMA Dollars, it’s pretty freaking sad that the UFC wouldn’t pay that much to the greatest fighter of all time.
Fedor will be facing this lanky young man.
Fedor faces Singh on December 31 in Japan. You’ll be able to watch it that morning on Spike TV.
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