FACEBOOK TWITTER RSS APP PODCAST Opinion & Analysis : Staff Columnists BENT: Strikeforce will end up the "whipping boy" due to Fedor shunning the UFC

Aug 14, 2009 - 4:25:05 PM
By: Jason Bent, MMATorch Columnist
Fedor Emelianenko chose not to sign with the UFC. Forget all of the co-promotion talk and the fact that he wanted jobs for so many fighters that you would have thought he was the MMA version of MC Hammer with an entourage. It came down to a choice, and he made it for himself as he felt his best option was to sign with Strikeforce.

He could have made more money and garnered more fame with the UFC, but he has this notion of getting M-1 Global off of the ground and feels Strikeforce offers him the best chance to do this. That's probably because Strikeforce will go out of business thanks to him and he had better hope M-1 Global can begin promoting shows.

Let it be known that Dana White has never been in love with Fedor Emelianko, and often he has dismissed his abilities in such a way that we wondered if he really believed what he said or was trying to anger the hardcore fans who look up to Fedor as if he is Jesus. Either way, Dana said many bad things about Fedor and still did his best to put together a deal which would have pleased just about everyone, and also would have culminated in a Lesnar vs. Fedor showdown which would have been a license to print money for most parties involved.

Instead he just put his name on the top of Dana White's hit list, and there are no-necked men who live in the back of the Palace Station who would love to treat him like a card counter. In fact, once White and company get done, Fedor may wish he had counted cards rather than courted death by rejecting the UFC.

I can't truly opine on whether Fedor made the right decision. Most of us can't, either. Put yourself in someone else's position and you are likely to make a different choice than the one they ultimately select. It's much like playing "armchair quarterback" on every Monday throughout the winter as we stand by the water cooler in our collective size 38 Haggar pants and wax poetic about how we could have orchestrated a 93 yard drive or called better plays.

Think about it. 40 year old men who wear Under Armour in a casual setting and can't even coach their son's rec league team to a winning record will often stroke their goatee and spout off jibberish as if they know more about X's and O's than the bastard lovechild of John Madden and Mike Shanahan, with ESPN's Erin Andrews assuming the role of surrogate mother. These guys know it all and know that the coach of said team made a bonehead call.

We do the same with MMA and often wonder why a fighter "gave his back" to another, or why Fedor turned down all of that UFC money. He still signed for a boatload of money and last I checked, he isn't missing any meals. Hell, Fedor has a bit of a belly so I know he isn't missing any meals. He eats well and probably sleeps well at night knowing he made the right decision for himself.

Right or wrong though, his decision will ultimately lead to the demise of Strikeforce. Elite XC died on the vine when they put all of their muscle behind a fighter with a decided lack thereof in terms of skills in Kimbo Slice. Strikeforce has long stated they are not competing with the UFC, and still do envision themselves as the number two promotion, but signing Fedor was akin to throwing down a gauntlet and they are indeed number two to Dana White and company right now.

Fedor wears a bullseye and Strikeforce is going to take the beating. So far, the UFC has signed Dennis Hallman and Phil Baroni away from Strikeforce. Curious signings for sure, with neither a game changer or world beater, but what they are doing is gobbling up whatever talent there is and shutting out Scott Coker and his boys in the process.

It isn't as if the UFC has big plans for Hallman and Baroni. They don't need either man unless they want to give Hallman to Matt Hughes as a retirement gift or use Baroni to help hype a fight against an upcoming opponent. They do, however, need to grab everyone they can so that no one is left for Strikeforce and that they end up with Fedor and maybe Alistair Overeem with a busted hand.

The UFC would sign the Sparklett's guy who just happened to be walking out of the Strikeforce offices if they thought it would keep Scott Coker from being able to sake his thirst after a long day of press conferences. They will try to do whatever they can to eliminate their competition, and while we might wonder how someone can be so cutthroat, truth is that we would do the same if not worse in their place.

The term "whipping boy" came about because children of royalty would often have a commoner for a friend who would indeed take the beating for anything the Prince did wrong. The Prince threw eggs at someone? The commoner, or "whipping boy," would get beaten to a bloody pulp. Plain and simple.

Fedor Emelianeko is royalty. He is "The Last Emperor" if you will, and because of his talents is untouchable for the most part in the ring, cage or otherwise. As such, Scott Coker and Strikeforce have become the latest whipping boy.

Fedor signed with Strikeforce.

Dana White counterprogrammed their 'Carano vs. Cyborg' show and has begun to sign fighters.

Strikeforce likely did the right thing by signing Fedor and we all have to agree we'd have done the same. Fedor did the right thing if we accept that maybe he did have his best interests in mind and also accept that maybe he doesn't care about some 30 yr. old PRIDE fan who still lives in his mom's basement. Maybe Fedor doesn't care where that guy ranks him in his P4P rankings.

The UFC however is doing the right thing for themselves, if the end goal is to eliminate their competition and summarily punish Fedor. Fedor himself is untouchable and yes, the UFC would still negotiate with him. Dana may not admit it, but he would. This doesn't mean the UFC would acquiesce to his demands but it does mean they would make an offer to him again.

That means they will do their best to make sure Fedor has no choice but to sign with them by eliminating Strikeforce. I mean, M-1 Global is not going to be hosting a show at the Mandalay Bay anytime soon with Yakov Smirnoff doing color commentary, so the promotions for which Fedor can fight and make a reasonable some of money will be just one; the UFC.

Strikeforce is the "whipping boy" and they have gotten a hell of a spanking so far. Dana White and the Fertittas are basically paintbrushing Strikeforce and daring them to cry. They are out for blood and going for the kill.

It is just Fedor's blood which won't be shed.

It will be Scott Coker's and anyone else even remotely associated with Strikeforce who dares to even think they belong on the same level as the UFC.

Trust me.

If Gina Carano quietly whispers thoughts of Strikeforce being on par with the UFC while alone in her bathroom and taking a dump, Dana White will burst through the wall like a black-shirted Kool-Aid man and coldcock her right off of the bowl.

Strikeforce hasn't outright said they are competing with the UFC, but the signing Fedor did as much, and no one ever survives a fight with the UFC. They are too big, have been in this game too long and didn't get to where they are today by handing out bags of money and letting their opposition sodomize them while doing nothing but liking it.

You have to be a killer to be in the UFC for the most part, but you definitely have to be one to run it, and right now Dana White is angry. Fedor Emelianko is untouchable and the "whipping boy" is going to get dismembered worse than Jimmy Smits guest-starring on the third season of 'Dexter'.

If the UFC was willing to sign Dennis Hallman and Phil Baroni to spite Strikeforce, what do you think they would really be willing to do to hurt them?

Fedor will find out as he sits and watches from outside of the cage. Hell it's possible he never fights for Strikeforce because the UFC may put them away before then.

Fathers would often tell their children that "this will hurt me more than it hurts you" as they beat them, and signing Hallman and Baroni is definitely a case of this being true for the UFC.

Just wait until they move in for the kill.

This will wind up being a bloodbath complete with Dana White licking his gloves a la BJ Penn.

This weekend is just the opening salvo as the signing of Fedor means the war is on. It's just going to be a very one-sided war.

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