Fedor Emelianenko’s Return Looms Large Over Strikeforce

By MMAEdition on Dec 31, 1969 with Comments 0

Love him or hate him, Fedor Emelianenko has the MMA world in the palm of his hand. Where he’s going, who he’s fighting, and where he stands among the sport’s best fighters are all common subjects of conversation, debate and sometimes anger among fans, reporters and fighters alike.

This is perhaps Emelianenko’s greatest power right now, the power to generate attention. It comes from everywhere, and is the reason Strikeforce had no choice but to find a way to re-do his deal, as M-1 insisted. Now comes the tricky part; finding a way to turn that interest and investment into something tangible.

If it were only up to Strikeforce CEO Scott Coker, it might be a simpler challenge, but when you get into the Fedor business, for better or worse you are in business with Team Fedor, the M-1 management group that has its own interests and pursuits to balance with those of their flagship fighter.