Mirko "Cro Cop" Filipovic doesn't know why the world's largely regarded top heavyweight, Fedor Emelianenko, refuses to fight in the UFC, but he did make it clear that he thinks Fedor and every other top fighter should focus their efforts on the MMA juggernaut."I don't know if somebody controls (Fedor), if he has the power to express his wishes to go wherever he wants. Maybe he has to do what some other people tell him to do, I don't know situation," said Cro Cop during a UFC 103 media conference call on Tuesday.
"I really don't why he doesn't want to enter UFC. Definitely UFC offered him, I know for sure, they offered him the best possible deal today, much more than Dream can offer or Strikeforce can offer, but he's just refusing to go there.
"I think that every true fighter should fight in the UFC today because UFC definitely the only worldwide organization today."
Cro Cop says his own reasons center on competition, wanting to prove that he is still to be feared among the world's best, the way he was in his heyday while fighting for Pride Fighting Championships.
"I liked Pride more than anything, but those days are gone and UFC is the main on the MMA market today. I think my place is to fight in the UFC and that is it," he told reporters.
"I don't think that (Fedor is) afraid of someone and maybe he just wants to keep his perfect score... I don't know."
Fedor recently signed with Strikeforce. He will face Brett Rogers in his first bout for the promotion, but a date and venue have yet to be revealed.
(Audio courtesy of Steve Cofield - ESPN Radio 1100)
25 comments:
Fedor is a great fighter and very skilled but I can't help but think he's fearing the level of competition he would obviously be thrown against from the door. There would be no easy or "entertainment" fights in the UFC. He'd have to knuckle up and prepare for war every night he's on the card and I don't think he wants that kind of pressure.
...Cro-Cop is right. Other top notch Pride fighters went. If Fedor breezes through Strikeforce, the pressure would be too great for him not to sign with the UFC. I think it may be for political reasons. Remember he's Russian. They have a tendency to obey orders no questions asked...
Fedor is NOT afraid of competition. When Fedor fought Sylvia and Arlovski, there were at least 20~30% of MMA fans who doubted Fedor.
What has changed since back then. He was a #1 fighter back then yet he still faced Sylvia and Arlovski BACK TO BACK. If he was scared now, he must of been scared back then too. UFC really hasn't changed much since two years ago. Dos Santos, Carwin, and Cain are still nobodies.
Fedor went over to Strikeforce because he values co-promotion. He wants to build a company so that when he retires, cash will still come in. He is in essence part owner of strikeforce. Cro Cop was never Fedor. He will always be a slave still trying to prove his worth. Fedor proved his worth years ago.
Crocop was #2 in Pride Heavyweights - so proving himself is something he had done before also.
Fedor faced Arlovski and Sylvia? Who cares? The top heavyweight competition is still in the UFC. He never faced them in the UFC.
The money he would make with the UFC would be in his own pocket not M1 Global's in a co-promotion - so from a retirement standpoint that makes no sense - he has to share the Strikeforce money not the UFC's.
A true world class athlete would naturally desire to compete with the world's best. Fedor for some reason doesn't. He has lost so much credibility as a fighter without even stepping in the ring.
I hate when people bring up Sylvia. That guy is a worthless turd. You can say Fedor beat Arlovski and it is a big deal. Don't bring up the Maine-iac. Cro Cop is right. UFC is the big league in mma. Pride was also a big league but it joined UFC just like National League and American League did making MLB. It would be dumb to see Pujols or Jeter sign with the minors, right? Then why would Fedor join Strikeforce. I'm sure I'm gonna read some fuck face saying I'm a Zuffa lover or some dumb shit, but UFC is the place to be, all the other organizations are the minors.
Tice is clearly a Zuffa lover. Tice doesn't want someone to bring up the Maine-iac because he's sad the Maine-iac lost.
As long as Lesnar is champ Fedor won't go simply because of what Lesnar did to Mir. Fedor is too small of a heavyweight. Lesnar would just lay on him and beat him with brute strength. WHy would Fedor do that? He is a skilled MMA fighter. Lesnar is a super heavyweight at 280 plus.
I would have posted here, but Tice already said it all. Nice point about Pujols in the minors.
if cro-cop wanted to fight fedor he should have gone to strikeforce.
brock is the real champion with a
4-1 record? are you people serius?
mma isnot ufc and it will never be.
stop licking dana ballz, bitches
The majority of casual fans have no idea who fedor is... no one will kno who fedor is when he retires bc he never fought in the UFC. Fedor nutthuggers can make all the excuses they want... MMA history is written from the UFCs point of view and fedor doesnt exist.20 years from now the UFC will get even bigger and become even more of mma, and every new fan will NEVER know fedor. ALOT of people ONLY watch UFC. FACT
Yes brock IS the real champion... not because of his record but bc of his willingness to consistently fight top rated comp. When all is said and done, upon retirment brocks record will be far superior to fedors bc of the level of comp. he faced from start to finish as well as the fact that he started fighting big name in his second fight.
Who cares if fedor is the best when only a couple thousand people on the net kno it? It doesnt matter if your the best if noone recognizes it but a handful of people. And if anyone thinks that Fedor is well known(known at all for that matter) outside af hardcoe fans, well then you need to have yourself checked.
I'm so tired of Fedor's nuthuggers. Don't bring up Arlovski or Sylivia and talk top competition when you talk about Fedor. The UFC cut them, because they're days as top heavyweights were over, made obvious by those fights. Go ahead and act like he's awesome for beating them, then think about the fact that a no-name (Brett Rogers) and a washed up pro boxer (Ray Mercer) ran through them faster than Fedor did. Mercer lost to Kimbo Slice for fucks sake, do people really think those two are top heavyweights?
Lesnar is a super heavyweight. Who so far has beaten is foes superior strength not skill. Everyone knows Frank Mir was more skilled but simply does not have the brawn to beat Lesnar, he just recently admitted that. If Fedor fought Lesnar it would be the same thing, Lesnar on top smashing him simply because he is that much bigger and stronger. Fedor is not a big heavyweight at all. The fight would mean nothing.
3rd comment is the most intelligent comment I have read yet. Everyone else is a stupid noob. Well done sir.
oops I meant the 4th comment! Sorry!
Fedor has been given more than enough incentive to join the UFC and has turned them down again. Which may not be a bad deal since every time they negotiate he is offered more and more by the company. I wouldn't jump at the chance to fight in the UFC if Dana White was my boss either. You can speculate all you want bottom line if Fedor wants to be known as the best ever he'll have to join the UFC at some point and face the best the UFC has. Not the best they used to have in Sylvia and Arlovski. Who knows what's important to him and the decisions he makes. I do believe he makes the decision he isn't owned or controlled by anyone.
Fedor would take apart every HW in the UFC. The fans are swayed very easily by the UFC propaganda. When Sylvia or Arlowski was champ, the UFC sayed their HW champ would KO Fedor, Wrong. Now they have their new champ well hyped up by the UFC with a 4-1 mma record. The UFC tried like hell to sign him but couldn't do it for reasons the fans will probably never know. The UFC says Fedor is scared, Of what, A 4-1 HW fighter? Come on people, just more bull shit propaganda. Ask any real mma trainer who the best HW fighter in the world is. The UFC also knows that is why they are screaming and threatening Strikeforce. Very mature by DW.
In case you mma wannabes didnt know. fedor not only dismantled sylvia and arlovski. but he aslo destroyed cro cop and nogiera twice!!!! and nogiera will make lesnar look silly. watch.
When Arlovski fought Fedor it wouldn't surprised me if he had beat him but he got stupid and tried a fancy flying knee that realy went south for him. But knowing Fedor, I knew he was tough so I didn't root for either and just was wanting to watch a good fight. Most UFC fans didn't even think Sylvia would have beat Fedor. If you ever watched any of his fights, you would know he was booed just about every time since he tested positive for steriods. And Most UFC fans hate Brock Lesnar ever since his stupid fucking stint at UFC 100 but I do think he would beat Fedor. Brock is just too strong and too big. Fedor would dominate the stand up but Brock would eventually take him down and do to him what he did to Mir, Couture, and Herring. I hate that mother fucker but realisticly that's what would happen. I'm rooting for Shane Carwin but it won't surprise me if it happens to him too. And not all UFC fans just watch UFC. I watch Dream and Strikeforce now and then to watch a few fighters such as Renato Sobral, Gegard Mousasi, of course Gina Carano, and if Arlovski fights again, him too. But thats it. Mousasi is the only one UFC would take but he likes fighting in Dream and UFC has exclusive contracts so that can't work. What I'm getting at is that last dumb ass doesn't know what he is talking about. True mma fans know that UFC is the big league and if someone wanted to be number one they need to win a UFC title. The only exception is if you're too small go to WEC or too big go to Dream.
when i said last dumb ass i was talking bout to ahead.
dana? is that you?
Im sorry but lesnar only has one shot at beating fedor. and thats if he can knock him out with his big mitts. but believe me, if it goes to the ground, fedor will make lesnar look silly. fedor is a real mixed martial artist. Lesnar is just a big strong wrestler with alot of muscle behind his punch and that is it.
I would love to tell everyone i told you so when fedor taps out lesnar, but im gonna have to tell you i told you so when nogiera taps out lesnar. it will happen you dumb ass ignorant mma wannabes
Just letting you know Shane Carwin is set to fight Lesnar next not Nogeuira. I think Mir is a better jui jutsi fighter than Nog and look what Lesnar did to him. But I do hope if Nog does fight Lesnar that you're right.
It's doubtful that Mir's BJJ is better than Nog's. Mir lost a grappling match to Roy Nelson.
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