Fedor has signed with...

[AirJordanB]

....Bellator.

Just lol. It's good for his health, I suppose. He would've gotten smashed in the UFC.


Edit: although Fedor's return was announced during the Bellator event on free TV, apparently he's not fighting for Bellator. uwotm8?

perhaps OP is willing to update the OP with this bit of into and help stop the spread of misinformation by those that only read 4 words in the OP before responding itt

Brett Okamoto ********@bokamotoESPN 2h2 hours ago

Fedor's deal is not with Spike TV or Bellator, I'm told. It's with Sakakibara.
https://twitter.com/bokamotoESPN/sta...48048026390528



Ariel Helwani ********@arielhelwani 2h2 hours ago

I'm told Fedor's deal is for 2 fights and it's with Sakakibara exclusively.
https://twitter.com/arielhelwani/sta...51178013261824


Luke Thomas ********@SBNLukeThomas 2h2 hours ago

Spike has the U.S. rights to air the Fedor fight, but Fedor did NOT sign with Bellator. He signed with Sakakibara.
https://twitter.com/SBNLukeThomas/st...50027666550789







and some other stuff

Luke Thomas ********@SBNLukeThomas 48m48 minutes ago

I asked about the name of the new promotion. Sakakibara wouldn't say.



Luke Thomas ********@SBNLukeThomas 51m51 minutes ago

Sakakibara: I'll hold a presser in October in Japan where he'll 'explain everything'.

[sword_]

Won't tarnish his legacy IMO but he should just have retired.

[scooterbrah]

praise jesus

Brett Okamoto ********@bokamotoESPN 2m2 minutes ago

The Fedor fight will take place in a ring.
https://twitter.com/bokamotoESPN/sta...49450404470784

[1800_Cool_Guy]

He went with that other company. Dana must have had a stroke. Fedor brah be ducking all the legit HWs what's up with that.

[ftwrestler]

im sure if it were actually up to fedor he would fight in the UFC

[1sttimecaller]

He's run from top competition(and random drug testing) his whole career. Why would it be any different at 38?

[Craiz]

That endless pit of Viacom $$$$

Why would Fedor want to be held to sponsor Reebok? And also be a slave to the UFC machine with all the press tours?

Plus Bellator and Glory and Sakakibara's new promotion are looking to do big things. Its also about doing business with people that you know and work well with and Fedor knows Sakakibara. Dana has shown to be a maniacal douch that praises a fighter one day and then stabs them in the back the next. I don't blame Fedor not wanting to be under Dana's boot.

Bellator definitely has better production then UFC and they don't try and be something they're not. UFC tries to "act" like a legit sport but then does anything but. Bellator is putting on Tournaments to see who gets a shot. Not UFC **** like have a rank 8 guy beat a rank 10 and then have rank 8 jump ahead to be rank 3 and get a title shot over ranks 1 and 2.

[1sttimecaller]

Plus Bellator and Glory and Sakakibara's new promotion are looking to do big things.

lol. Let me know how that works out for them.

[Craiz]

lol. Let me know how that works out for them.

lol. Time will tell.

I said 'looking' to do big things.

And for what its worth they cant **** up any more then what the UFC has done with their Reebok deal. UFC never needed it. But Zuffa and co. did it anyway for themselves.

[RoccoTanno123]

well there goes me giving a ****. i bet he trains practically the same as he did when he was in strikeforce too.

[John L]

Absolutely great news. UFC didn't deserve to sign Fedor.

[John L]

He went with that other company. Dana must have had a stroke. Fedor brah be ducking all the legit HWs what's up with that.

This. He needs to stop ducking and start fighting top competition. Instead he's fighting the likes of UFC reject Werdum.

[ilykejordans]

Who is even in the Bellator HW division? Strikeforce at least had legit competition

[scooterbrah]

perhaps OP is willing to update the OP with this bit of into and help stop the spread of misinformation by those that only read 4 words in the OP before responding itt

Brett Okamoto ********@bokamotoESPN 2h2 hours ago

Fedor's deal is not with Spike TV or Bellator, I'm told. It's with Sakakibara.
https://twitter.com/bokamotoESPN/sta...48048026390528



Ariel Helwani ********@arielhelwani 2h2 hours ago

I'm told Fedor's deal is for 2 fights and it's with Sakakibara exclusively.
https://twitter.com/arielhelwani/sta...51178013261824


Luke Thomas ********@SBNLukeThomas 2h2 hours ago

Spike has the U.S. rights to air the Fedor fight, but Fedor did NOT sign with Bellator. He signed with Sakakibara.
https://twitter.com/SBNLukeThomas/st...50027666550789







and some other stuff

Luke Thomas ********@SBNLukeThomas 48m48 minutes ago

I asked about the name of the new promotion. Sakakibara wouldn't say.



Luke Thomas ********@SBNLukeThomas 51m51 minutes ago

Sakakibara: I'll hold a presser in October in Japan where he'll 'explain everything'.

[Donoreem]

Fedor signed a two fight deal with "Samurai FC" aka Sakikabara's "new PRIDE". Odds are he signs with the UFC after those two fights, using them as warm ups. In a perfect world he'd fight Chieck Kongo and then Sergey Kharitonov, but I doubt it. I imagine he'll fight on NYE, again around June, and then he'll be in the UFC fighting Cain or Werdum by December.

[John L]

Fedor signed a two fight deal with "Samurai FC" aka Sakikabara's "new PRIDE". Odds are he signs with the UFC after those two fights, using them as warm ups. In a perfect world he'd fight Chieck Kongo and then Sergey Kharitonov, but I doubt it. I imagine he'll fight on NYE, again around June, and then he'll be in the UFC fighting Cain or Werdum by December.

Why would he bother signing with the UFC though? He's pushing 40, hasn't fought in 3 years, and is probably just coming back for those two fights because he knows that Sakikabara will pay him a chit ton of money.

I could see why people would be disappointed if he was some kind of hot prospect not signing with the UFC, but why would Fedor sign with and have to deal with a piece of garbage like White who has done nothing but drag his name through the mud since Pride folded? He doesn't need the UFC and has already been established as the greatest HW ever a long time ago, nothing else to prove.

[IDidntMakeIt]

I have to second John L (and any reasonable person). Who would want to have Dana as his boss?! Particularly Fedor, he's accomplished a lot yet Dana belittled him wherever and whenever he could. Perhaps a young starting fighter could suck it up but it is different with a grown up man with an illustrious career. Add to it the situation with the sponsors. So unless you're really desperate or given a magnificent contract...

And I think it's for the better. Time and tide waits for no man and it's unlikely Fedor would do great against the absolute UFC elite now. Heck, I think even much younger GSP who's with a great camp and had cage-adapted style would have hard times had he returned now.

[Donoreem]

I don't understand all the idiots who thought Fedor signed with Bellator. Did you just not listen, or what? They literally said he was Main Eventing the NYE show in Japan and nothing else. They announced it during Bellator, because they're co-promoting with the new organization. It's really simple.

[SwayWay]

Good for FEDOR. He doesn't need zuffa, never did. He isn't signing up for a 5K Reebok sponsorship.

He was bored in retirement and just wanted to come back for the thrill of the sport and to make some more money. I'll watch his fights and cheer him on. GOAT.

[G015C]

I am pretty happy that Fedor is coming back to fight in the new PRIDE (gonna be called Samurai i think?). I read somewhere that the fights by Samurai? is gonna be fought in the ring which is a big plus for me, there is just something off about watching people fighting in a cage.

I agree with the others ITT that dirtbags like White and the Fertittas don't deserve Fedor and he doesn't need them and their bullchit reebok "bonus". Regardless of what people say about this deal, Fedor for me will always be the GOAT. No matter what garbage is being spewed out by dana white and the UFC will tarnish his legacy.

[Magicmees]

Most likely planned this all along but just wanted to create some excitement with the UFC talks to get some attention.



Understandable though, would have ended face down, ass up, like he did the last time he fought in a sanctioned fight. Only thing I wonder is if they will pay the guy to take a dive as well or acctualy risk having Fedor fight a bum in a real fight..

[Von Brawn]

[A-DzO]

fedro vs minowaman, NYE.

[sumolgi]

The same Sakakibara that wrecked Pride with his Yakuza connects including allegations of fixing fights??? This will go well... at least it's short term and Fedor will get his money.

[CanardLaque]

Hey I read Sakuraba is returning too, maybe he'll fight against Fedor ..hahahaha

[Saint 3:16]

Hey I read Sakuraba is returning too, maybe he'll fight against Fedor ..hahahaha

That's fight of the year material right there.. I'm seriously tired of all this Fedor BS, from both sides. Neither side deserves or needs each other. I just hoped to see Fedor to have some competitive fights, it's been 5yrs since the Werdum fight.

[scooterbrah]

[AirJordanB]

This. Fuk yourself, Fatoreem.

[Donoreem]

This. Fuk yourself, Fatoreem.

I wasn't confused at all during the announcement. I guess I can't hold you guys here to my standards.

[Gainzzz]

it wasn't confusing at all, lel.