Report: Fedor Emelianenko is a Possible UFC Target

UFC President Dana White says additional signings of major MMA talent such as Fedor Emelianenko (25-1, 0-0 UFC) — the reigning PRIDE heavyweight champion and perhaps one of the greatest fighters in MMA history — can be expected in 2007, according to a “Brawl Sports” blog entry posted by the Houston Chronicle’s Steve Sievert.

Sievert, who is one of only a few MMA journalists working for a major metro newspaper, recently spoke to White, and surprisingly, the bit about Emelianenko was just a small part of the story.

I’m probably reading too much into this, but I don’t remember Dana White ever really talking publicly about going after Fedor, so I found this report both fascinating and intriguing. I’ll give him credit: White is quite savvy when it comes to creating buzz and making splashy announcements. He knows how to build hype, and he knows how to get fans talking. He plants seeds that quickly become California redwoods of gossip.

And when I read this paragraph, I couldn’t help but think that maybe — just maybe — this was a calculated move on White’s part to jumpstart the buzz:

The signing of [Mirko "Cro Cop" Filipovic] shows that Zuffa is willing to reach for the checkbook to attract elite talent. The UFC boss wouldn’t tip his hand, but hinted that other major signings are imminent and that could include Fedor Emalinenko, whose current short-term relationships with Pride and BodogFIGHT pretty much make him a free agent.

The signing of 30-year-old Fedor, who’s registered 17 first-round victories during his career, would arguably be the biggest signing in the history of the UFC. Additionally, it would make a huge statement about the UFC’s willingness to spend big for major talent. Fedor, after all, wouldn’t come cheap. His price tag would almost assuredly be north of $1 million per fight (edit: that $1 million would include pay-per-view “buy” bonuses) with a long-term contract required.

With the recent flurry of major signings, this would be the biggest of all.

Recently, Fedor scored a first-round submission win (via kimura) over Mark Hunt at PRIDE’s New Year’s Eve card, and he’s set to fight next on March 3 for bodogFIGHT, most likely against Jeff Monson, according to Sherdog.com.