Penick's Take
PENICK: Fedor + Finkelchtein + Strikeforce = Preposterous statements and one bizarre conference call
Aug 6, 2009 - 4:49:24 PM PENICK: Fedor + Finkelchtein + Strikeforce = Preposterous statements and one bizarre conference call

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After Dana White's tirade today in Philadelphia, where he referred to Strikeforce as "StrikeFarce" and said Fedor would put them out of business, the Showtime/Strikeforce/M-1 Global conference call got underway, and what a bizarre trainwreck of a call it was. From getting off to a late start to losing people on the line to random noises and distractions along with the the fact that not one thing of significance came out of the entire hour plus call, it became an entirely pointless affair. Though that's not to say we weren't subjected to more ridiculous statements made by one Mr. Finkelchtein.

When the signing was announced on Monday, this call was set to announce who Fedor's first opponent would be. At least that's what was heavily intimated beforehand. Instead, Strikeforce CEO Scott Coker wavered on who that first opponent would be, saying he would need to circle back and discuss things with everyone as this signing came about so fast. He's said a fight with Alistair Overeem, the Strikeforce Heavyweight Champion, wouldn't necessarily be the first bout for Fedor as they want to possibly build up to that fight. But, when you're touting this fighter as the "best heavyweight in the world" on your own teleconference, you've already undermined your Champion, and it's insane to not match the two up in the Title fight first because then the next person to face Overeem isn't a true challenger to him if Fedor's fighting someone else. That entire situation makes no sense.

So along with car alarms sounding in the background to losing Finkelchtein almost immediately after he was asked about the snafu involving the M-1 event on August 28th in California, this was just a strange call. Tt simply consisted of more question dodging or vaguely worded answers, likely from the loss in translation.

As for Fedor, he shot down the notion that he doesn't know what's going on with M-1 and the business they conduct on his behalf, claiming he makes all decisions pertaining to himself. He gave a half-hearted apology to the fans who have turned on him and blamed him for not getting the fight with Lesnar done.

Speaking of Lesnar, the "Preposterous Statement of the Year" award may just have to be likened after Vadim Finkelchtein. A second bust can be made of Jerry Millen while we're on that line of thinking. But Finkelchtein today said that Lesnar is simply a product of the UFC PR machine, and isn't the biggest challenge for Fedor because he's only had five fights. He claimed Brett Rogers was better and more of a challenge. He also tossed in near the end of the call that "no one knew who Brock Lesnar was a year ago." It's an undeniably twisted world that they live in.

Finkelchtein's take on Lesnar simply makes me laugh. No one knew who Brock Lesnar was before last year? Really? More people around the world knew who Brock Lesnar was as a WWE wrestler five years ago than know who Fedor is now. They also stated Fedor is bigger internationally than the UFC. Tell that to the 25 million Mexican fans that tuned in to UFC 100. Tell that to the people in the 75 and counting countries the UFC has television.

Brock Lesnar is the biggest threat to Fedor in the heavyweight division, bar none. To believe otherwise is to continue to discredit one of the most gifted athletes to come into the sport. His last four fights were against top notch competition in the UFC. Heath Herring's not elite, but he wasn't a tomato can. Randy Couture might have been in his mid forties, but he's coming out to show he's still got it at the end of this month. And Frank Mir was in peak physical form when Lesnar decimated him last month. Fedor fought an Andrei Arlovski and Tim Sylvia that Lesnar would also destroy. Before that he fought Hong Man freaking Choi and Matt Lindland.

Do people honestly want to continue the argument that what Lesnar's done against top competition from the get go is of no consequence? What he lacks in experience he's more than made up for with an impressive aptitude for the sport and he'll continue to build his own legacy in the UFC sans Fedor. And for the record, as much as I like Brett Rogers and enjoy his fights, he is not better than Brock Lesnar right now and does not pose the same threat that Lesnar would to Fedor. If M-1 ever wants to be taken seriously by anyone, which I doubt they care about right now, they need to stop talking out of there asses. Oh, and how about actually having something to talk about the next time you set up a conference call? It would help.