UFC Threatens Ban of TapouT For Fedor Emelianenko Sponsorship

[IC Champion]

http://www.5thround.com/41458/report-ufc-threatens-ban-of-tapout-for-fedor-emelianenko-sponsorship/

The UFC’s hand is getting stronger and stronger as they apparently forced TapouT to back out of their one year, seven-figure sponsorship of Fedor Emelianenko.

To kick-off the agreement between the MMA clothing pioneer and the Russian heavyweight, TapouT created a shirt for Emelinaneko to wear for “Strikeforce: Fedor vs. Werdum” tonight.

“It was our understanding that the T-shirt was in production,” Fedor’s manager Vadim Finkelchstein told Sherdog.com Friday.

Instead, the clothing company called Fedor’s camp earlier this week and informed them that the deal was off.

“However, at the beginning of this week, we were told by our sponsorship representative that Tapout had received a call from (UFC President) Dana (White), which involved him saying that if Fedor signs a T-shirt deal with Tapout, then Tapout would be out of the UFC,” Finkelchstein explained.

According to M-1’s Global Director of Operations Evgeni Kogan, TapouT officials had assured them when the deal was being reached that there would be no issues with the UFC.

Unfortunately there WAS a problem and the deal went up in smoke as the threat of being banned by the UFC was too much for TapouT to lose.

“He’s used to these kind of fallouts from our friend Dana White, and to be honest, this didn’t come as a surprise (to him),” Finkelchstein said.

Emelianenko also lost out on another million-dollar sponsorship with clothing company RVCA after the UFC had threatened to ban them as well.

[IC Champion]

Dana White has become obsessed with a fighter who isnt even with the UFC, and in his words isn't a top 5 heavyweight. He undermines Fedor's credibilty and accomplishments anytime he can. You'd think he would just let it go.

[Nark Order]

There's no way he's going to let this go. Not the way that Dana is, there's no way. Dana tried everything he possibly could to get Fedor into the UFC and what he got were completely unreasonable offers. I think Dana thinks that if they're going to make it hard for Dana to make money off of Fedor, he's going to make it hard for Fedor to make money period.

[IC Champion]

That's ridiculous, Fedor got a better deal, Dana White cannot live with that. It eats at him every waking moment.
You know what's unreasonable, payings one half of your main event in one of the years biggest shows 40K to show, and 40k to win. That's what Shane Carwin is getting for 116. I'm sure if the UFC's offer was that great, it would have been taken.

[Vastardikai]

Back to the endorsement rant. TapouT is the BIGGEST provider of sponsorship money (bigger than even Affliction) for MMA. He bans TapouT, that's ALOT of money getting taken out of the pockets of ALOT of fighters.

[Reavant]

i kind of wish they didnt back out... just to see what happens

[Jura]

I would like to see Dana in the cage.

[Nark Order]

That's ridiculous, Fedor got a better deal, Dana White cannot live with that. It eats at him every waking moment.
You know what's unreasonable, payings one half of your main event in one of the years biggest shows 40K to show, and 40k to win. That's what Shane Carwin is getting for 116. I'm sure if the UFC's offer was that great, it would have been taken.

I don't know the specifics of the deal that he got but didn't Fedor's agent basically say that UFC would not get Fedor unless they decided to co-promote with M1? That seems more than unreasonable.

[IC Champion]

Like I said, maybe that was their initial offer, but if the money was good enough, and better than Strikeforces, I'm guessing they would have made the deal.

Expecting to hold a monopoly over MMA is unreasonable.

[Fignuts]

Fucking hate Dana White. He gets butt hurt easier than a 5 year old. Fucking little girl.

[IC Champion]

Anytime he becomes somewhat tolerable, he does something like this.

[IC Champion]

UFC is just asking for an anti-trust lawsuit. They should maybe take note of the NFL and other major sports leagues.

[Nark Order]

Like I said, maybe that was their initial offer, but if the money was good enough, and better than Strikeforces, I'm guessing they would have made the deal.

Expecting to hold a monopoly over MMA is unreasonable.

This is such a ridiculous argument though. Why would Dana White try to make it easier for his competition to succeed? He's not being some evil son of a bitch, he's being a businessman (admittedly though, sometimes the two aren't far off from each other.)

What it probably comes down to is that Fedor wouldn't agree to terms with the UFC, even though Dana feels that he did everything necessary to get him there. Now Dana is being unreasonable in response. Childish? Yeah. Can he get away with it with little to no backlash? Yeah.

[Funky Fly]

Dana is an asshole, but Fedor is a bigger one.

Strikeforce is already having problems with him. He's scared of Ovareem and demanded a piss test. Ovareem passed it and now Fedor doesn't even want his title shot. The co-promotion with M1 is killing them (like it does every other company too). Dana bent over and was ready to take it in the ass to get Fedor, and he still pushed his co-promotion bullshit.

He's ducking top talent in both companies and holding out for more money. Fuck Fedor.

[IC Champion]

This is such a ridiculous argument though. Why would Dana White try to make it easier for his competition to succeed? He's not being some evil son of a bitch, he's being a businessman (admittedly though, sometimes the two aren't far off from each other.)

What it probably comes down to is that Fedor wouldn't agree to terms with the UFC, even though Dana feels that he did everything necessary to get him there. Now Dana is being unreasonable in response. Childish? Yeah. Can he get away with it with little to no backlash? Yeah.

They couldn't come to terms, Dana needs to get over it. Fedor got a BETTER deal. Dana did everything he feels was necessary, yet we don't know what he offered him. To Dana White 500k a fight would be more than reasonable, but Fedor was unreasonable for taking a better deal if he could?

Dana White is bad for the sport of MMA. These kind of things are anti-competetive tactics, and can get him and the UFC into trouble.

[IC Champion]

Dana is an asshole, but Fedor is a bigger one.

Strikeforce is already having problems with him. He's scared of Ovareem and demanded a piss test. Ovareem passed it and now Fedor doesn't even want his title shot. The co-promotion with M1 is killing them (like it does every other company too). Dana bent over and was ready to take it in the ass to get Fedor, and he still pushed his co-promotion bullshit.

He's ducking top talent in both companies and holding out for more money. Fuck Fedor.

How is holding out for more money in a sport where the top companies pay next to nothing in compared to their revenues and profits a bad thing?

[IC Champion]

And the ducking top talent is bullshit, if Fedor signed with UFC, Dana White would let him fight whoever he wanted, within reason. Matt Hughes is still around, and wants another title shot, but refuses to fight anyone good, UFC doesnt care. They just bring a Gracie in to job to Hughes.

[Nark Order]

Feel like your hatred for Dana White is causing you to not be able to be reasonable yourself when it comes to this subject. Fedor and his agent were the ones being ridiculous during negotiations because they would only make a deal under impossible conditions. There would be absolutely NO good reason for Dana to agree to co-promote with m1. M1 would offer him absolutely nothing besides Fedor and then he runs the risk of it blowing up in his face. He would be fucking insane to agree to such a deal.

All the while, Fedor is looking pretty good right now because he isn't refusing to fight top level competition because he's afraid of tarnishing his image, he just "can't come to terms" with the UFC. Pretty convenient overall.

[Reavant]

ok IC your done...


of course hughes would like another title shot, but he also knows he doesnt have a lot of fights left and he has not once said in an interview since he lost to alves, that he deserves a shot. They brought in gracie to fight hughes because it was in abu dabi and gracie is as popular out there as hughes is here.

Fedor is getting very picky with his fight selections and has requested ovareem get a piss test. Upon passing that test, Fedor started talking of retirement.

Dana is not being unreasonable when saying he doesnt want to co-promote. Every company gets hurt badly by that type of arrangement and why would the UFC share their wealth that they made from less than nothing and turned into this giant business. M-1 is trying to leach off of what ufc made without doing the work.

[IC Champion]

I don't even hate Dana White. He's become more tolerable. We don't know the exact details of the neogotiations. We know the the initial offer was to co-promote under the M-1 banner, and UFC refused. Anything beyond that is speculation. We do know that Fedor got the deal he wanted from Strikeforce.

So Fedor should have taken a lesser deal because you want to see him fight top level competition? Fedor did that in Pride, when it was the top promotion in the world.

Fedor is at the tail-end of his career, can you blame him for taking the best possible money or deal?

[Funky Fly]

How is holding out for more money in a sport where the top companies pay next to nothing in compared to their revenues and profits a bad thing?

Not in a "they're not paying me reasonably" way (and truthfully, they aren't with most guys). I mean in an "M-1 Global gets half the profits and pays none of the production costs" way. Why do you think Affliction folded?

And the ducking top talent is bullshit, if Fedor signed with UFC, Dana White would let him fight whoever he wanted, within reason. Matt Hughes is still around, and wants another title shot, but refuses to fight anyone good, UFC doesnt care. They just bring a Gracie in to job to Hughes.

Matt Hughes is done. He is still a name, so they give him fights, but realistically, who could he beat other than old ass Gracies? Matt Serra won their fight but got robbed.

As for Fedor, the top talent in Strikeforce is Ovareem. He's the god damn champion. Fedor has a shot at him but wants to fight Werdum. Who in their right mind ducks the champion to fight a "middle of the road at best" guy? Ovareem is a fucking beast. A clean beast. Like I said, Fedor wanted a piss test before their fight and Ovareem passed it. Now he doesn't want any part of him.

Fedor knows it's not much better in the UFC. He'd maybe have to fight Ben Rothwell, then Cheik Congo then Cain Velasquez then the champ? There's a lot of risk of exposure once you get to the top 5. Even if he got an immediate titleshot he's looking at exposure from the top guys.

If he loses, his mystique is gone and so is his ability to demand so much money. Plain and simple.

[IC Champion]

ok IC your done...


of course hughes would like another title shot, but he also knows he doesnt have a lot of fights left and he has not once said in an interview since he lost to alves, that he deserves a shot. They brought in gracie to fight hughes because it was in abu dabi and gracie is as popular out there as hughes is here.

Fedor is getting very picky with his fight selections and has requested ovareem get a piss test. Upon passing that test, Fedor started talking of retirement.

Dana is not being unreasonable when saying he doesnt want to co-promote. Every company gets hurt badly by that type of arrangement and why would the UFC share their wealth that they made from less than nothing and turned into this giant business. M-1 is trying to leach off of what ufc made without doing the work.

I never said the UFC should co-promote, they chose not to. So why keep acting like a child? M-1 was trying to leach of UFC, and UFC ass-rapes it's employees.

[IC Champion]

And I know why they brought Renzo in, I was just kidding. I just hate Hughes.

[IC Champion]

This has somehow become about the UFC's failure to sign Fedor. This was really about the UFC's dirty and questionable business tactics.

[Nark Order]

If he loses, his mystique is gone and so is his ability to demand so much money. Plain and simple.

This pretty much sums it up nicely, even without the backstory.

[IC Champion]

Again, while we can debate the Fedor/UFC situation all day, it's about the ramifications of black mailing of one of the sports biggest sponsors in a sport that relys heavily on sponsorships, in part because salaries are so low.

[Nark Order]

At the end of the day though, he can get away with it because of the position he's in. The moral of the story is probably to not piss Dana White off.

[IC Champion]

Until someone decides to bring an Anti-trust lawsuit against white and the UFC.
I shouldn't be surprised no one cares, who cares in UFC has a monopoly, and fighters are treated fairly, and if there's competetion. So long as UFC houses the best named in the world, and gives us the best shows, it's all good.

I don't know if you are or not, but you sound like your justifying White's position Narc. This hurts fighters in MMA as a whole. This appears to be a case of the UFC using it's power and position to maintian a monopoly, and I believe that is illegal.

[Nark Order]

I'm not justifying anything, I'm just saying that he's going to do it and nobody will probably stop him from doing it for a long time.

[IC Champion]

And you see nothing wrong with what he is doing?

[Nark Order]

And so what if there is? He's going to do it until somebody stops him. Basically Fedor and his representation pissed off the wrong guy and paid for it. That's really all there is to it.

I'm not saying that it's right, I'm saying that it's just the way that it is.

[IC Champion]

We can see that's how it is. We know Dana White is gonna do what he wants, this is nothing new. What I was asking is don't you think this is bad for fighters and MMA? That the UFC is going to far, and hurting the sport by trying to maintain in monopolistic hold over MMA?

[Nark Order]

Every company is going to do what's best for business and make decisions that make them money. I'm not sure Dana White minds being an "evil monopolistic asshole" and I don't think he cares whether it's good for MMA or not. He only cares what's best for the UFC.

However, I'm not convinced that his decision to blackball Fedor is hurting MMA as a whole.

[Bad Company]

I completely agree with what White is doing here.

[IC Champion]

So you don't believe in competetion laws, or you don't think this policy will extend past Fedor?

[Nark Order]

I think you're over exaggerating the situation. MMA is so hot right now, there will not be a lack of competition for quite some time nor is there a lack of competition now. The competition just aren't where the UFC is right now and I think that it's gotten a good portion of MMA fans upset. There are tons of promotions where fighters can go for employment, they just can't offer what the UFC can. It feels like you're coming down on the UFC for being a successful promotion. Need us remember that MMA was nowhere NEAR where it is now before Dana and the Fratitas resurrected the UFC. Other promotions owe Dana White a bit of gratitude, to be honest, I guess it's just hard to do when he's making most of the money.

To your second question, no. I don't think this time of behavior will extend past Fedor. Dana White is pretty emotional for a businessman and I think this was Dana's final "Fuck you" to Fedor for being so difficult during contract negotiations. Not saying that I think this was a completely moral move, but try to stop him.

[IC Champion]

I'm not coming down on the UFC in anyway, other than saying what they are doing is wrong. Should we not question anything Mr. White does or the UFC? They did resurrect MMA in America afterall. The UFC is the promotion I prefer to watch, I'm not grinding an axe. I only pointed out they don't always use the most ethical business practices and don't particularly pay their fighters the greatest.

[Nark Order]

Well, it doesn't really seem to keep fighters from working for the UFC so it probably won't get any better for a while. There aren''t many other higher paying alternatives either so I suppose UFC kind of sets the bar on purse.

[Stickman]

Does anybody know how much it costs to run a PPV? I'm sure they have their business plan and structure and pay the fighters based on what they can afford to keep their business profitable. Dana always says his fighters are very well taken care of in ways we don't know, I'm sure he's not bsing with that.

[CSL]

Fabricio Wer-DOOM.

[Funky Fly]

Frankly, Fedor is worse for MMA than White is. M-1 Global is in the habit of shutting companies down through their co-promotion (taking half the profit and paying none of the production costs or fight purses). White low balls guys.

Can you not see that if there were more competition, the UFC wouldn't have as much ability to low ball fight purses as they have right now? That's Fedor's doing. Remember when Arlovski went to Affliction because the money was better? That's called competition. Remember when Fedor's co-promotion ran costs up too high and they folded? That's called bullshit.

[IC Champion]

Fedor's doing is the reason why the UFC has no competetion? My guess if they were retarded enough to make those deals with M-1 and Fedor than they probably werent going to be around long in the first place. Boxing co-promotes, and they do pretty well when they hold events. Chances are Affliction was gonna fail, Trump was a partner for fuck sakes.

How is it bad for MMA if Fedor and his management to try and get as much money as possible? How is White not bad with his anti-competetive tactics? The lack of real competetion makes it OK to lowball his fighters? And it's more Fedors fault, than the UFC?

Fedor is indepentant contracter, the impact he has on the business of MMA is microscopic in comparison to White and UFC. Come on now.

[Krimzon7]

Dana's an asshole. He's treading dangerously close to Anti Trust Grounds.

WIth that being said, I understand his move. You're in business to make money, not friends.

The fighters do get paid shit...THAT IS WHY THEY SHOULD UNIONIZE!

[IC Champion]

But it's ok, Fedor pissed him off.

[Nark Order]

What is your fixation with this? Nobody is saying that it's ok. Dana is going to get away with it because of his position of power. Not saying that Fedor shouldn't have been a bastard during negotiations (because he wanted the most bang for his buck) but, unfortunately, now he has to pay for it.

[IC Champion]

What is your fixation with re-stating Dana's position? Fedor did what he should have as a fighter looking out for his best interest, Dana didn't get what he wants, so he can do things that border on illegal? You're not really adding much here other than saying Dana can do what he wants, and no one will stop him. We understand that, as you keep pointing it out.

These sort of things kills competetion and helps UFC keep it's stranglehold over the market, which is what allows Dana to pay guys like a Carwin 40K to main event at 116.

How do you not see this as a bad thing? What if this isn't where Dana stops?

[Nark Order]

But you keep making snide comments to insinuate we all think that it's alright, which probably isn't the case (I probably think it's alright though).

Personally, I don't think Dana overstepped his boundaries in his business decision to blackball Fedor. While this could be a petty feud, think about the benefits of this decision. Dana doesn't want people to think of Fedor when they hear the TapOut name, he wants people to think of names from the UFC. If Dana is willing to pay Tapout enough money for them to agree to such terms, I don't really see anything wrong with it. It may get Fedor fans up in arms, but business is business.

[IC Champion]

Umm, Dana wasn't willing to pay Tap Out anything to be UFC exclusive, he said he would ban them as a sponsor and ban his fighters from wearing it.

I'm not insinuating anything. You dont think Dana went to far. You said you probably think it's alright, how was I insinuating? If you and everyone else don't think it alright, why are you making it about Fedor, rather than Dana Whites actions?

[Nark Order]

You're insinuating that everybody feels that way.

You're making this alot more complicated than it is. Fedor pissed off a powerful man that has a good relationship with sponsors. There was something in it for White, but who really cares if he did it out of spite? Dana won and hopefully Fedor learned something.

[IC Champion]

I'm not insinuating everybody feels that way, just you and Funky.

You don't take anything away from this other than Fedor should have learned a lesson.

I don't even care why he did it, it's irrelevant if it's out of spite, if Fedor pissed him off, doesn't matter. I'm not complicating things. Who gives a fuck about Dana/Fedor. This is about the leader of a company killing someone elses sponsorship deal in another organization. This is one company using it's market dominance to maintain control of the market, either for market share, or for control of the business's top fighters.

Is it sound business strategy? Yes. But so is hiring illegals.

[Kane Knight]

Dana's an asshole. He's treading dangerously close to Anti Trust Grounds.

WIth that being said, I understand his move. You're in business to make money, not friends.

The fighters do get paid shit...THAT IS WHY THEY SHOULD UNIONIZE!

Fighters won't unionise because they have people like white pulling tactics like this. You may be in business to make money, but you might not want to be pulling moves that will get your business busted. That's generally a bad business practice. Unless you're an industry America can't do without, like oil or cars.

It seems to me that the risk here isn't really worth the benefit. And that really isn't good business. Yeah, he might get away with it, but when entities get busted for this stuff the penalties tend to be stiff and/or damaging.

[Krimzon7]

Fighters won't unionise because they have people like white pulling tactics like this. You may be in business to make money, but you might not want to be pulling moves that will get your business busted. That's generally a bad business practice. Unless you're an industry America can't do without, like oil or cars.

It seems to me that the risk here isn't really worth the benefit. And that really isn't good business. Yeah, he might get away with it, but when entities get busted for this stuff the penalties tend to be stiff and/or damaging.

I absolutely agree. You can be as tyrannical or vindictive as you wish, as long as you stay under the radar. This was a pretty major blip. The sad part, much like the fighter's union idea, is that Dana(UFC) is the Great White Shark in this ocean. Unfortunately, he has more money, and a longer track record with the powers that be. They will tend to bend to his will, as not to be the next meal for him.

[Funky Fly]

I'm not insinuating everybody feels that way, just you and Funky.

You don't take anything away from this other than Fedor should have learned a lesson.

I don't even care why he did it, it's irrelevant if it's out of spite, if Fedor pissed him off, doesn't matter. I'm not complicating things. Who gives a fuck about Dana/Fedor. This is about the leader of a company killing someone elses sponsorship deal in another organization. This is one company using it's market dominance to maintain control of the market, either for market share, or for control of the business's top fighters.

Is it sound business strategy? Yes. But so is hiring illegals.
Whoa, when did I say it was alright? Re-read my post. I was making a lesser of 2 evils comment.


2 evils.

Just to be clear.

[IC Champion]

Sorry you didn't say it was ok, you just think Fedor had it coming?

[IC Champion]

I get your lesser of two evils, I'm just not sure where it is you stand.

[Funky Fly]

How many livelihoods has he put in jeopardy with his shenanigans? A few million dollars is the least of what he has coming to him. Or rather not coming to him :wtf:

[IC Champion]

It's his fault Afflicktion went under?

[Funky Fly]

I get your lesser of two evils, I'm just not sure where it is you stand.

If I'm saying it's an evil, chances are I don't support it. ;)

They're both in the wrong, it's just a matter of who is more wrong than the other.

[IC Champion]

And that's Fedor, because organizations were willing to pay more than they could to sign him and then went under because of it? Is that Fedors fault, or the asshole who thought they could pay him?

[Funky Fly]

They probably figured they could increase their profits having him around. But he is a cancer on the business. It's not like they're clamoring to co-promote. He pushes that shit on them. It's blatantly his fault. Not 100% as it takes 2 to tango, but definitely his fault.

[IC Champion]

My point has been about fairness and competetion, and how this hurts it, and all I'm really getting is reason why Fedor is ducking Overeem, and how he's killed promotions, yet White is deliberately doing his best to eliminate any competetion, weather is be through threats or black mail.

[IC Champion]

They probably figured they could increase their profits having him around. But he is a cancer on the business. It's not like they're clamoring to co-promote. He pushes that shit on them. It's blatantly his fault. Not 100% as it takes 2 to tango, but definitely his fault.

How about they just say no, and don't sign him?

[Nark Order]

By the way. I'm still not 100% the Russian mob isn't involved when it comes to where Fedor fights and who he signs with. History shows that the mob has been heavily involved when it comes to the export of elite Russian athletes.

[IC Champion]

It's Russia, it should be assumed he's connected to the Mob.

[IC Champion]

I wouldn't be surprised if they controlled Baryshnikov.