Fedor Signs With Strikeforce
by Robert Sargent
Ending one week of rampant speculation following the demise of Affliction: "Trilogy," #1-ranked heavyweight "The Last Emperor" Fedor Emelianenko has officially signed with Strikeforce and aims to compete in the promotion later this Fall.
The deal officially confirms that Emelianenko will not be signing with the Ultimate Fighting Championship, whose owners had courted the Russian throughout the past week.
It goes without saying that this is the biggest signing in Strikeforce's history, as the promotion now holds the #1-ranked heavyweight fighter in the world - and, arguably, the #1-ranked pound-for-pound fighter, period - among their ranks along with the top two 145-pound female fighters in the world as well.
Following the collapse of Affliction, Emelianenko was heavily rumoured to be signing, at long last, with the UFC. However, despite many concessions in the UFC's offer, Emelianenko's manager, Vadim Finkelstein, deemed that the proposal was unsuitable to Emelianenko and Finkelstein's company, M-1 Global. The UFC refused to budge on the issue of co-promoting, which was evidently a deal-breaker.
Instead, Emelianenko (30-1-0, 1 NC) will compete inside a Strikeforce cage, rather than inside a ring, for the first time in his storied career. He is expected to debut for Strikeforce as early as this Fall, with Brett "The Grim" Rogers, Fabricio "Vai Cavalo" Werdum and Strikeforce Heavyweight Champion Alistair "Demolition Man" Overeem all set as potential opponents. Whether Emelianenko is given an immediate title shot against Overeem, who pulled out of his scheduled August 15th bout with Werdum due to injury, remains to be determined.
Emelianenko maintained that he was prepared to face all challengers in Strikeforce and seemed to be pleased with his new home.
While many promotions have fallen over the past two years, this marks a monumental step forward for the once-regional Strikeforce, as the company has quickly established itself as a major player in the world of mixed martial arts.
