Despite retirement talk, Strikeforce's Fedor Emelianenko could be top grand-prix alternate |
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MODular Approach
Career record: 1032-582
Season: 39-20 (#371)
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Although the MMA legend hinted at retirement following a second-round TKO loss to Antonio Silva, Fedor Emelianenko's fighting career may not be over.
Both Strikeforce CEO Scott Coker and Emelianenko's agent, M-1 Global president Vadim Finkelchtein, want the 34-year-old to continue.
And Coker could dangle an intriguing opportunity should Emelianenko wish to continue fighting: first dibs on any alternate spots that open in the Strikeforce heavyweight grand prix.
Emelianenko (31-3 MMA, 1-2 SF) and Silva (16-2 MMA, 3-1 SF) headlined Saturday's Showtime-televised "Strikeforce: Fedor vs. Silva" event at the IZOD Center in East Rutherford, N.J. After a close first round, Silva unloaded a brutal ground-and-pound assault in the second. With the Russian's right eye swollen shut, the cageside physician halted the bout after before the start of the third round, which resulted in Emelianenko's second consecutive defeat since a legendary decade-long win streak.
The bout was part of the opening round of Strikeforce's eight-man, season-long heavyweight tournament. And though three tourney-reserve bouts populated Saturday's main card, any available alternate spots instead could go to Emelianenko.
"There's absolutely a possibility he could be a replacement," Coker told MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com) after the show. "That's the beauty of the tournament. You don't know what could happen in the next leg of the tournament. As this tournament unwinds over the year, there could be an injury, and you could see Fedor back in the tournament."
Decisions about injury replacements ultimately will be made by a Strikeforce committee, as Coker previously announced. And though Shane Del Rosario, Chad Griggs and Valentijn Overeem all won reserve bouts at Saturday's show, Emelianenko could cut to the front of the line.
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Post #1 2/13/11 9:52:15AM
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thepitbull00
MMA Regular
Career record: 923-619
Season: 37-9 (#1005)
Location: Canada
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What's the point of having alternate bouts if your just going to give their spot to a guy that lost in the first round? I want to see Fedor fight as much as anybody but it's not fair to the guys that earned their spot as the alternate.
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Post #2 2/13/11 11:51:42AM
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BigIP
Standup Guy
Career record: 43-35
Season: 0-0 (#-)
Location: DC
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Fedor should drop to LHW. The size advantage was the determining factor. BigFoot is just a massive version of Big Nog. I knew Fedor would have trouble with him. Such a shame since he's one of my favorite fighters. Another favorite fighter BJ will likely lose next week for the same reasons. Not going to be a happy month for me...
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Post #3 2/13/11 11:54:08AM
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BigIP
Standup Guy
Career record: 43-35
Season: 0-0 (#-)
Location: DC
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Posted by thepitbull00
What's the point of having alternate bouts if your just going to give their spot to a guy that lost in the first round? I want to see Fedor fight as much as anybody but it's not fair to the guys that earned their spot as the alternate.
I see your point but those other guys did not have to fight Bigfoot to earn their spot and Fedor lost because of a doctor stoppage not as convincing as Kharitov's KO of AA.
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Post #4 2/13/11 11:57:01AM
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Buy the ticket, take the ride
Career record: 928-525
Season: 39-20 (#649)
Location: My big ass bed
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This whole interview is basically Coker saying "I have no idea what I'm doing".
How can an guy that has just lost be re-entered into the tournament when he's already got alternatives that are fighting for places incase someone drops out?!
_______________________________________
"RIP Evan Tanner, a real life trail blazer."
I was born to lead, not to read!!!!
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Post #5 2/13/11 12:14:28PM
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machodog76
Belt Contender
Career record: 942-601
Season: 35-24 (#773)
Location: portland
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I'm a Huge Fedor fan, But that is BS, It's not a tournament if you overlook the Alternates who won for a guy who had his chance and lost. Hopefully there are no injuries and none of this matters.
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Post #6 2/13/11 12:30:53PM
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Aether
Heavyweight Champ
Career record: 929-503
Season: 18-6 (#1669)
Location: Edmonton
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Posted by SmileR
This whole interview is basically Coker saying "I have no idea what I'm doing".
How can an guy that has just lost be re-entered into the tournament when he's already got alternatives that are fighting for places incase someone drops out?!
It's more like him saying "Oh ****, I spent a lot of money on this guy and I am really getting royally ******, how can I possibly get my money's worth out of him!?"
I love Fedor, but man he must be Coker's worst nightmare after all of the hassle, for him to lose the first 2 fights of his career consecutively to fighters who were expected to roll over and die for him. LOL man Coker must be in a world of hurt and Dana must be overwhelmed with joy.
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Post #7 2/13/11 12:52:37PM
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Franklinfan47
Heavyweight Champ
Career record: 1020-561
Season: 42-17 (#341)
Location: Ontario
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I hope Fedor will give it atleast one more go before calling it quits, whether its in the tourney or otherwise. That said, he's had a long career and earned the right to step down.
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Post #8 2/13/11 1:01:17PM
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Combat Sport and Fitness
Career record: 380-267
Season: 5-2 (#2284)
Location: Mean streets of Enumclaw, WA
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other than arlovski, fedor shouldn't be fighting any other fighter in the tournament. he's out classed. if he would have fought overeem, kharitonov, or barnett i dont think he would have made it out of the 1st round before getting smashed. its time to hang em' up fedor. i cant wait till april, i dislike werdum, and i cant wait to see overeem give him the ubber-knee. i would love to see overeem vs barnett or even vs kharitonov in the finals
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Post #9 2/13/11 1:08:25PM
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Buy the ticket, take the ride
Career record: 928-525
Season: 39-20 (#649)
Location: My big ass bed
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Posted by Aether
Posted by SmileR
This whole interview is basically Coker saying "I have no idea what I'm doing".
How can an guy that has just lost be re-entered into the tournament when he's already got alternatives that are fighting for places incase someone drops out?!
It's more like him saying "Oh ****, I spent a lot of money on this guy and I am really getting royally ******, how can I possibly get my money's worth out of him!?"
I love Fedor, but man he must be Coker's worst nightmare after all of the hassle, for him to lose the first 2 fights of his career consecutively to fighters who were expected to roll over and die for him. LOL man Coker must be in a world of hurt and Dana must be overwhelmed with joy.
I'm betting Coker believes in the M1 curse now! Dana's twitter exploded when Fedor lost!
_______________________________________
"RIP Evan Tanner, a real life trail blazer."
I was born to lead, not to read!!!!
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Post #10 2/13/11 1:21:46PM
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BigIP
Standup Guy
Career record: 43-35
Season: 0-0 (#-)
Location: DC
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I wonder if his trainer was right after all. Remember what he said after the AA win?
“If he wants to keep winning, he can’t be spending too much time on these commercials and these movies,” complained Voronoz. “Afterwards, after the win. For a fighter, the most important thing is work, work, work. Fedor wants to keep winning, and keep winning well. He needs to train professionally.”
“The fact that Fedor won, don’t get me wrong, I’m very happy. But he won this fight because of the work he did before training that he did before this fight, because of the experience he had before this fight.”
“Right now, he won with his old baggage, with his old tricks,” he said. “We did everything we can to get him ready for this fight. But for these title fights, for these dangerous fights, we can’t train the way we trained for this fight.”
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Post #11 2/13/11 1:42:23PM
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Let's go bowling, Dude.
Career record: 974-511
Season: 46-13 (#9)
Location: Fort Wayne, IN
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This is just Coker refusing to let go of his cash cow's utters.
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TWITTER: @THE_FLEEK and @MMAPlayground
"I'm like the superhero coming in with the anti-bullsh*t." - Nick Diaz
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Post #12 2/13/11 1:57:51PM
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FastKnockout
Heavyweight Champ
Career record: 547-328
Season: 38-21 (#697)
Location: Mississippi
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This just shows that Strikeforce was relying very heavily on Fedor winning the whole tournament, or at least making it to the finals. He was the biggest draw, and now that he's lost in the first round they need to find a backup plan that could possibly give the chance of throwing him back in the mix, which I don't agree with. If they are going to give him a spot just to keep him away from retirement, what is the point of having back up fighters that will substitute for injured participants? It just takes away the valid reason for it. I love Fedor, and I'd love to see him give it one more go, but not while taking a great chance away from the back up fighters. I mean, look at Griggs last night. He poured his heart out and gave it everything he had. It wouldn't be right to just throw his chance out the door to get a bigger pay day out of Fedor.
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Post #13 2/13/11 2:36:18PM
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prozacnation1978
Heavyweight Champ
Career record: 1016-531
Season: 43-16 (#40)
Location: san diego
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You can't change the rules if your boy loses
Haven't seen it yet will when I get home from work
But those alternates are there for a reason.
Del rosario deserves to bang with the big boys
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Post #14 2/13/11 3:35:22PM
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king_katool
MMA Sensei
Career record: 256-188
Season: 0-0 (#-)
Location: Hamilton,ON,CA
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You can keep fedor out of the tourny and still get a good fight for him, loser of overeem/werdum vs fedor is a good match up, putting fedor back in the tourny makes it a joke
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Post #15 2/13/11 3:45:08PM
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