Fedor Emelianenko Joins Heavyweights For 8 Man Single Elimination Tournament

M-1 GLOBAL’S Fedor Emelianenko Joins Elite Heavyweights For Eight-Man Single Elimination Tournament:

STRIKEFORCE WORLD GRAND PRIX

–Heavyweight Tournament –


Quarterfinals Begin Saturday, Feb. 12, 2011;

Live on SHOWTIME® From IZOD Center, E. Rutherford, N.J.



STRIKEFORCE, M-1 GLOBAL in Association with Showtime Networks Inc. Sign New Multi-Fight Agreement To Co-Promote Events Headlined By Fedor

In the main event, Fedor (31-2, 1 NC) will take on Silva (15-2) in a STRIKEFORCE and M-1 GLOBAL co-promoted event. The co-feature will match former world champion Andrei “The Pitbull” Arlovski (15-8) against Sergei Kharitonov (16-4), the last man to defeat STRIKEFORCE Heavyweight World Champion Alistair “The Demolition Man” Overeem, in the first of two quarterfinal fights in the three-stage, single-elimination tournament on Feb. 12.

The famed Fedor, 34, of Stary Oskol, Russia, will be making his first start since it was announced that STRIKEFORCE and M-1 GLOBAL, in association with SHOWTIME, had signed a new, multi-year agreement to co-promote events headlined by the MMA legend.

What the fighters and the executives had to say Thursday:

SCOTT COKER

“Tickets for our event go on sale to the public tomorrow (Friday) at 10 a.m. Our pre-sale started yesterday and it was the largest pre-sale of any Fedor fight to date so we’re very excited about that.

“I’d like to thank Ken Hershman and all the guys at SHOWTIME. This is something we talked about three or four months ago and he gave us the green light to do it and it’s something we’ve wanted to do for a long time. So I thank him and SHOWITME for believing in this event.

“There was some confusion on the rules and regulations so I just wanted to clarify. All quarterfinal and semifinal matches will be scheduled for three, five-minute rounds and the tournament final will be five, five-minute rounds for the STRIKEFORCE World Grand Prix Championship. Any fight that ends in a draw, an independent fourth judge will determine the winner and who advances based on the fighters overall performance in the fight. If a fighter qualifies to advance in the tournament but for whatever reason cannot continue to fight in the tournament, we are forming a five-person tournament review committee who will select a fighter to advance in his place. This fighter will come from a pool of fighters which will include previous opponents and winners of reserve matches.

“The review committee will be headed by STRIKEFORCE rules committee director Cory Schaefer, who has been with us since the beginning. The winner of the final match will be crowned STRIKEFORCE World Grand Prix Champion and will have the opportunity to fight for the STRIKEFORCE World Championship belt at that time. 

“The tournament format in martial arts fighting has been around for a long time. I’ve (seen) a lot of tournaments in my day and I always thought this would be a fun tournament to (do) with all these great fighters. We took a look at the SHOWTIME boxing format and saw what they’ve done. It’s going to be a good ride and we hope everyone enjoys it.

“It’s an exciting time and we’ve been well received. We had the fighters in (New York City) this week and you can just feel the energy. Everybody’s just real excited and pumped to put these fights on.”

KEN HERSHMAN

“Scott said it great. We’re thrilled to extend out agreement with M-1 Global and Fedor and we think it is going to be a real fruitful relationship for a long time to come. We’re even more thrilled that Fedor has agreed to jump into this tournament because having the No. 1 pound-for-pound fighter in the world as part of this collection took it to another level and we’re very proud of that.

“We’ve prided ourselves on putting on the best fights and if you look at this lineup that holds true. I thank Scott because I know through our Super Six (World Boxing Classic) how tough these things can be to put together. I can’t wait for the first set of fights.

“Scott has had to do a lot hard work on this as far as getting the fighters to come together. I think if you look at the lineup you have to extrapolate out that these are the eight top heavyweights in the world and that nothing would be easy getting them to agree on this. And Scott did this in a very quick amount of time.

“I think MMA is an important component to what we do at SHOWTIME. The sports offering has brought a new audience to SHOWTIME and it’s been successful beyond our original plans. I would label MMA as a very core part of our sports offering and I think the programming for all of SHOWTIME has been off the charts. We’re proud of the results we’ve delivered. I look back at how great the programming has been to date and then I look at the schedule for 2011 and it’s off the charts how great the schedule has been. This tournament is spectacular and a key component to what we’re doing and we could not be more excited about it. If you’re a sports fan, now is the time to subscribe to SHOWTIME.”

VADIM FINKELCHTEIN

STRIKEFORCE. We are very, very happy that Fedor has reached a new deal and will fight more often than he has in the past. In my opinion this heavyweight tournament is a wonderful idea and a first for us being in the U.S. with the best heavyweights in the world. MMA fans will get more this year than they’ve ever hoped for.”

FEDOR EMELIANENKO:

“Nothing has changed for me (since the loss). I train just as I’ve trained before. It just so happened that I had made an error in the previous fight so in training I have just worked on trying not to make that same mistake again. For me nothing has changed inside of me and I still have the same beliefs. I just want to train harder for the next fight.

“I feel very good about participating in this tournament. I feel very proud to be part of the eight who have been chosen and I feel proud to be representing my country in the tournament. I’m training to win the tournament. I’m training hard and whatever happens after that is up to God but I’m training hard and I look forward to performing.

“I’m ready and prepared to step into the cage against Fabricio (Werdum) at any time. It’s something that I’d very much like to do. In regard to Antonio, he’s a very tough opponent, a very dangerous opponent. We’ve never fought before so I’m very happy that we’re getting the opportunity to fight. We’ve seen each other in locker rooms and he’s always been very cordial and a nice person. He’s very qualified and I think it’s going to be a great fight. I really don’t think that I should be fighting anyone else and I’m just going to fight whoever they want me to fight.”

How does this compare to the Pride Tournament you participated in?

“I believe that this tournament has assembled enough quality fighters and some of the strongest and most interesting heavyweight fighters in the world so I think that in no way is this tournament any less than the ones I competed for with Pride. I believe it’s just as good, if not better.

“I don’t think that the years I spent in Pride can give me any type of advantage or dictate how I will perform in this tournament. Certainly experience in this tournament is something that is valuable. Nevertheless, I have to train very hard for this fight and we’ll see what happens.

“I’m probably going to train in Russia. I’m more comfortable there and I like to be close to my family. It’s likely I’ll probably stay in Russia. But I wouldn’t mind training somewhere else and with someone like Shane Carwin, who is a good fighter. But most likely I’ll stay in Russia.

“Many times people have sized me up and tried to say what my strengths and weaknesses are but if they say they’ve found what my biggest weakness is then let them take advantage of it.’’

Why do you train in the remote mountain areas?

“Firstly when I train in the mountains in remote areas I train in the high altitude where it’s very cold -- even near freezing. It just makes the entire training process that much more difficult, which I believe is beneficial because if I can get through it then I’ll be that much better for it. Another reason I do it is because nobody bothers me. All I do up there is train, eat and sleep. And all I need to concentrate on is the entire process of my training regimen without any distractions. I believe that’s what allows me to be in maximum shape leading up to a fight.”

ANTONIO “BIG FOOT” SILVA

“I am very happy to be fighting Fedor, who people still consider the No. 1 heavyweight in the world. Fedor is a legend and to be a legend you have to beat a legend. And I’m ready to be the best heavyweight in the world.

“Fedor is the best so this is the top of the food chain. For me, this is the final and I will give it all I have to make this happen. This is my dream and I’m going to beat the legend and I’m going to be a legend.

“I think Fedor is a complete fighter and he’s very well-rounded. It’s tough to determine how this fight will go. I think I will do more stand up in this fight. If it goes to the ground then it does. One thing I have in my mind is that Werdum showed to the world that Fedor’s main weakness is on the ground. But he’s a complete fighter and I’m going to follow where the fight goes.

“Everyone has been saying that I can be the man to beat Fedor in the future. And now I know in my mind that I can beat him. I know this is the right time and that God has given me this time and that I can beat the great Fedor.”

NEW YORK (Jan. 4, 2011) – World championship Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) promotions STRIKEFORCE and M-1 GLOBAL, in association with premium television network SHOWTIME have signed a new, multi-year agreement to co-promote events.


Headlined by the MMA legend Fedor “The Last Emperor” Emelianenko (31-2, 1 NC).

In addition, STRIKEFORCE has assembled eight of the world’s top ranked heavyweights to compete in the STRIKEFORCE World Grand Prix – Heavyweight Tournament, a three-stage, single-elimination tournament that will take place over several events in 2011.  The first two quarterfinal fights begin on Saturday, Feb. 12, live on SHOWTIME from the IZOD Center in E. Rutherford, N.J. In the main event, the 34-year-old Emelianenko will face the towering Antonio “Big Foot” Silva (15-2) in a STRIKEFORCE and M-1 GLOBAL co-promoted event.  Co-featured on Feb. 12, former world champion Andrei Arlovski (15-8) will face Sergei Kharitonov (16-4), the last man to defeat current STRIKEFORCE Heavyweight World Champion Alistair “The Demolition Man” Overeem.



The other two quarterfinal matchups are as follows: Overeem (34-11, 1 NC) will face the only man to tap out Fedor, the Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu specialist Fabricio Werdum (14-4-1), while the heavy-handed Brett “The Grim” Rogers (11-2) will meet a hungry Josh Barnett (29-5). The location and date for these quarterfinal tournament fights are to be announced.



"We are thrilled to have come to a long-term agreement with Fedor and M-1 GLOBAL,” said STRIKEFORCE CEO Scott Coker. “To have the greatest MMA fighter of all-time put his legacy on the line in a single-elimination tournament will truly captivate MMA fans worldwide. STRIKEFORCE is home to the best heavyweight division in the world; the athlete who runs the gauntlet in a tournament such as this would have to be considered the best heavyweight fighter in the world."



"I’m very pleased to be working with SHOWTIME and STRIKEFORCE and Mr. Coker and Mr. Hershman personally. Thanks to their interest and efforts, we’ve created what will go down in history as MMA’s greatest heavyweight tournament of all time,” said Vadim Finkelchtein, co-founder of M-1 Global. “M-1, STRIKEFORCE and SHOWTIME have built a partnership committed to the future growth of MMA—a sport where organizations represent a working collaborative that enable the best fighters in the world to fight each other. This agreement benefits everyone, especially the fans who’ll see Fedor in action more often.



“With SHOWTIME’s significance in the U.S. and M-1’s development of the European and Asian MMA markets, the cooperation will also deliver a global roster of talented fighters to viewers,” Finkelchtein continued. “During the coming year, we’ll be showcasing spectacular Grand Prix events using the same M-1 Selection tournament format, a series of events generating enthusiastic spectator interest keeping fans glued to their screens.”



“I can’t think of a better way to start 2011 than with this major announcement,” said Ken Hershman, Executive Vice President and General Manager of SHOWTIME Sports®. “Fedor is universally known to sports fans throughout the world and it is an honor to continue our work with M-1 GLOBAL and STRIKEFORCE in presenting this legendary fighter to SHOWTIME subscribers.



“SHOWTIME has enjoyed great success with its two most recent boxing tournaments—the Super Six World Boxing Classic and The Bantamweight Tournament,” Hershman continued. “And now, with the breadth of talent in the STRIKEFORCE heavyweight division, we have the privilege of staging one of the biggest tournaments in the history of this growing sport.  With the STRIKEFORCE World Grand Prix’s single-elimination format and the biggest names in the sport today, this tournament is something that no sports fan will want to miss.”



“I have been training very hard since my last fight and can’t wait to get back in the cage,” said the 6-foot, 235-pound Emelianenko, who hails from Stary Oskol, Russia and is promoted by M-1 GLOBAL.  “STRIKEFORCE has assembled a roster filled with the best heavyweights in the world and, together with M-1 GLOBAL, we have the opportunity to fight the best in a great tournament format.”



Fedor’s unprecedented, record-setting run of 28 professional MMA bouts without a defeat has prompted many MMA enthusiasts to label Fedor as the greatest of all time. Since his career began 10 years ago, Fedor has faced and defeated many rival superstars and champions of this era including Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira, Mirko “Cro Cop” Filipovic, Andrei Arlovski and Mark “The Hammer” Coleman.



In what ranks among the most watched MMA fights in the United States, Fedor made his live primetime network television debut on Nov. 7, 2009 on CBS, when he defeated unbeaten rising star Brett Rogers in a STRIKEFORCE and M-1 GLOBAL co-promoted event.  Despite a difficult first round in which he sustained a deep cut above his eye, Fedor turned the tide early in the second round with one vicious right-hand punch and finished Rogers shortly after.



Then, on June 26, 2010, Fedor suffered a stunning upset at the hands of Werdum, a Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu black belt, at HP Pavilion in San Jose, Calif., in one of the most watched MMA bouts on SHOWTIME.  Werdum, who has defeated a host of top rivals including Overeem, Silva and Brandon “The Truth” Vera, trapped Fedor’s arm in a triangle armbar that forced Fedor to tap out at the 1:09 mark of the opening round.



Fedor has only one other official loss on his record, the result of a doctor stoppage due to a cut he sustained seconds into a matchup with Japan’s Tsuyoshi Kosaka on Dec. 22, 2000.  Fedor avenged the TKO loss with his own first-round TKO of Kosaka at a PRIDE Fighting Championships event in Japan on April 3, 2005.



About STRIKEFORCE
STRIKEFORCE (www.strikeforce.com) is a world-class mixed martial arts cage fight promotion which, on Friday, March 10, 2006, made history with its "Shamrock vs. Gracie" event, the first sanctioned mixed martial arts fight card in California state history.  The star-studded extravaganza, which pitted legendary champion Frank Shamrock against Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu black belt Cesar Gracie at San Jose's HP Pavilion, played host to a sold-out, record crowd of 18,265.  Since 1995, STRIKEFORCE, sanctioned by ISKA, has been the exclusive provider of martial arts programming for ESPN and, after 12 years of success as a leading, world championship kickboxing promotion, the company unveiled its mixed martial arts (MMA) series with "Shamrock vs. Gracie."  In May 2008, West Coast Productions, the parent company of STRIKEFORCE, partnered with Silicon Valley Sports & Entertainment (SVS&E), an entity created in 2000 to oversee all business operation aspects of the San Jose Sharks and HP Pavilion at San Jose.  In March 2009, STRIKEFORCE signed a multi-year agreement with SHOWTIME® to stage live events on the premium cable television network.  The promotion has since also produced two live, primetime events on the CBS Television Network.





About M-1 Global

Founded in 1998, M-1 Global (www.M-1Global.com) has established itself in the realm of mixed martial arts (MMA) as the premiere entity for discovering and developing the world’s next-generation of superstar fighters. With offices in St. Petersburg, Amsterdam, New York City, Washington DC, Los Angeles and affiliates in Kuala Lumpur, Seoul, Tokyo and Paris, the M-1 brand has staged over 70 events worldwide including the M-1 Selection and M-1 Challenge events and its co-produced Strikeforce events in the United States. Captivating the live, television and broadband audiences with its superior production values and match-ups, M-1 events boast some of the sport’s top names including Fedor Emelianenko, Andrei Arlovski, Aleksander Emelianenko, Gegard Mousasi, Alistair Overeem, Ben Rothwell, Melvin Manhoef, Roman Zentsov, Stephan Struve and rising stars Shamil Zavurov, Byron Byrd, Alexander Sarnavskiy and Vinny Magalhaes. 2011 marks a breakthrough year with two Selections tournaments across Eastern & Western Europe, North America and Asia and a full calendar of Challenge events fuelled by a talent-rich contention system ranking M-1 Global’s Champions amongst the greatest in the sport.

M-1 Global’s greatest asset is the number one heavyweight fighter in mixed martial arts history, Fedor Emelianenko. With daily coverage on all MMA-related websites in the world, and articles in Time Magazine, LA times and New York Times, Fedor and M-1 Global make a lifetime match serving as the catalyst to grow MMA in the 21st century.