Months ago, we mentioned the possibility of Randy Couture's promotional contract being deemed as unenforceable if it ever hit the court system. It looks like this could be the very issue that Mark Cuban was looking to key in on when he filed his lawsuit. News hit the 'Net that lawsuit revolves around the "retirement" clause in Zuffa's promotional contracts, specifically the length that the contract extends if a fighter retires. Zuffa's contracts hold the fighter to an indefinite amount of time if he retires from fighting under the Zuffa banner.

So, how can this help Couture? If the contract is deemed unenforceable due to the ridiculous amount of time that the contract locks a fighter down, it can be considered void. This would make Couture a free agent and allow HDNet's contract to become effective, and it would also get the wheels rolling on the end product of all of this; Fedor Emelianenko vs. Randy Couture.

The chances of this happening aren't as slim as you would think. Most contracts that have any type of time constraint that either involves a no-compete clause or a retirement clause usually cannot go past a certain length of time. This isn't set in stone, of course, but many lawyers will tell you that even a year no-compete clause is excessive in some instances. There are numerous accounts of no-compete clauses being deemed unenforceable for the average working man. Those clauses sometimes have 50-100 mile radius clauses attached as well that say you cannot work within 50-100 miles of your previous employer. Nearly all of those agreements are deemed unenforceable, and it would be an epic failure by the court system to say an indefinite clause in Couture's contract is enforceable. I recently read about a woman who signed a 2 year, 65 mile radius no-compete clause, which she had thrown out. It really doesn't seem that excessive when you compare it to some of the clauses that Zuffa asks of its fighters to sign, but a court found it ridiculous. It's up to the courts to determine if those standards should apply to Couture's retirement clause.

There are other concerns as well. The indefinite time period could simply be shortened to a "reasonable" time period, but would make it tough for an aging Couture to compete once it's over. Also, the severability clause states that pieces of the contract can be deemed unenforceable, but the rest of the contract would be valid.

The culmination of my points here is that the clause will be thrown out. It's almost a certainty that there is no court in America that would uphold a clause that indefinitely locks you into a contract. There are other pieces of the Zuffa contract that could come under fire such as the clause pertaining to a fighter refusing to fight which also carries an "indefinite" time period. Even the clauses in the PRIDE scandal are ridiculous. Sakakibara can't be involved in an MMA enterprise for seven years? Give me a break, Zuffa.

Another day, another lawsuit that could affect Zuffa in the big picture. What happens if the clause is thrown out and Couture is allowed out of his contract? Other fighters may begin researching their potential break from the contract as well. Zuffa has its hands full to the brim, and it's going to be an interesting few months.

Some news surfaced today that Mark Cuban had confirmed that he was in discussions regarding a possible business deal with the M-1 MixFight Championship. Many fans are taking this news as an indication that he is the possible purchaser of the M-1 MixFight promotion from the news that an “American Entertainment Company” had purchased the company. Other sources around the Internet are claiming that Mark Cuban is not the purchaser of the company. To be perfectly honest, Cuban is more than likely not going to be pushing his stake into MMA this quickly, especially when HDNet Fights just held its first event in the history of the promotion. What interests me the most is the possible business deal that could come from Cuban's end. Will Cuban be able to produce some kind of co-promotional events with M-1? Will HDNet Fights become an international partner with M-1 and help M-1 step into the U.S. Market? More importantly, can HDNet and M-1 bring Josh Barnett and Randy Couture in to create two of the most anticipated matchups in the history of MMA? Let's find out.

Major players looking to help each other?

There isn't much known about M-1 MixFight at this point. We know that there will be an announcement regarding Fedor Emelianenko's contract on October 23rd in New York City. We don't know if the buyers will be revealed, but there are rumors circulating that the new purchasers have hired a notable MMA name to help promote the organization and be the face of the organization. For the new owners, there are a number of promotions that will be looking to strike deals with them because of the legacy of z. A lot of fans may not agree, but people will still buy pay-per-views to see arguably the best pound for pound fighter in the world.

What potential is there for a deal that will bring M-1 some U.S. market exposure and another promotion some international flavor that will not only increase their talent pool, but will also help in grabbing up MMA fans to see the event? Since the reports have been that a major backer is in the mix with M-1, my feeling is that M-1 is looking to begin a major push internationally. Being based in Russia also has many perks. M-1 has access to some of the better talent coming out of Asia and the eastern block countries. Also having a presence in an area that has some ties to some big MMA crowds such as that in Japan is a major plus. Russian MMA is only in its infancy though. Fedor's status in the MMA world will help promote MMA in Russia and hopefully bring some respectful status to it as the Russian public has not accepted MMA like the U.S. has.

With that said, a possible co-promotion with a U.S. based promotion seems to be a brilliant move by M-1. They will not only get their name in the spotlight, something they have been wanting for a long time, but will also be able to show that their fighters can compete in with U.S. fighters. This was the debate with PRIDE vs. UFC, could those fighters compete with the UFC? The bigger picture will be the financial benefits.

Fedor Emelianenko has been said to be a non-drawing fighter in the past. The BodogFIGHT card featuring Fedor vs. Lindland didn't draw much more than a normal card. Bodog hasn't been successful in selling their cards very well though. In a U.S. market, MMA is a bit bigger and a good marketing strategy could potentially make some record sales.

The main organization in line right now is HDNet Fights. The article mentioned above states that Cuban is trying to work a deal. They are a brand new organization looking to draw fans to watch their fights, looking to expand HDNet and add more subscribers, and also wanting to be significant in the MMA market. What a better deal than to bring Fedor to the United States in a co-promotional event. Along with bringing Fedor, we will see some of the better Russian prospects in MMA up against some solid American fighters in a cage. It benefits their MMA program, exposure, and legitimizes HDNet Fights as an organization to be reckoned with.

Will someone else be able to produce?

The bigger question in a HDNet and M-1 partnership will be whether or not M-1 management can lure some of the free agent heavyweights that the world of MMA has long been wanting to see fight Fedor Emelianenko. Josh Barnett has been out of action since December 31st of last year, when he lost a decision to Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira. Barnett only has 5 losses to his record, 3 of those to Mirko “Crocop” Filipovic. His catch wrestling is world renowned as some of the best grappling skills by anyone in his weight class... except for possibly Fedor Emelianenko. The much anticipated battle between these two competitors will be a big draw for hardcore MMA fans and could be promoted well enough to bring in some casual fans.

The fight that everyone has been wanting to see for quite some time pits the legendary UFC Heavyweight Champion Randy Couture against Fedor Emelianenko. We won't get into details about styles and who would eventually win the bout, that's for another time. We will get into the fact that this fight is the most anticipated fight in MMA right now. Amazingly, Couture wants this fight so badly that he ended up leaving the UFC because Dana White was unable to swing a deal to bring Fedor to the UFC. With Couture heading into free agency after 9 more months, could Cuban work a deal and bring him to HDNet and eventually set up the battle between the two legends?

The answer is Yes. Finances aren't even an issue. In a previous article, I chronicled Mark Cuban's rise to riches and the amount of money he has to bankroll that kind of deal is nothing compared to the net worth he has accumulated. Mark Cuban also will have the knowledge of what Dana White did wrong when dealing with Fedor's representation. He could throw money into a co-promotion, help get both HDNet and M-1's name exposure, and only sign Fedor and Barnett to one fight deals. That would enable those fighters to do what they want, something that was argued over during Fedor's negotiations. With that said, Cuban is in an unique position to give the fans what they want in a small amount of time of being in the market of MMA. It could be a very exciting year in 2008.

"M-1" in this article refers to the purchased M-1 Mixfight organization who's new variation name has yet to be disclosed.

On October 4th, Frank Trigg of TAGGRadio broke the news that Fedor Emelianenko had finally ended all the rumors and signed with a new organization that was comprised of former M-1 Mixfight organizers and some new investors. The deal was to be for $10 million dollars, although it was non discussed if this was for a number of fights or for a timeframe. Now, Loretta Hunt at The Fight Network is CONFIRMING that Fedor Emelianenko has signed with an organization in Russia, but it actually is M-1. The kick is that M-1 has been purchased by an undisclosed American entertainment company. Here's the official announcement:

PRIDE heavyweight champion Fedor Emelianenko has committed exclusively to the new ownership of M-1 Mix-Fight Championship, which has been purchased outright by an undisclosed American entertainment-related company, according to a source close to the deal who spoke on the condition of anonymity... ...The source confirmed the new ownership has infused a substantial amount of capital into the organization. Finkelstein and others will stay on to assist in running the company, which will continue to promote under a variation of the M-1 name. The new M-1 will take more of a global stance, and Emelianenko (26-1) will headline its inaugural event as early as January or February, possibly in the U.S., the source said. A formal announcement of the purchase, as well as plans for the new organization’s first event, is expected by the end of this month.

Josh Gross over at Sherdog also confirmed on an episode of the podcast "The Beatdown" with TJ Desantis that the rumor had a lot of validity and that we would definitely know toward the end of the month as to what was going on. He stated that he wouldn't be surprised at a statement when they make their way to the East Coast at the end of October. Hunt's source remained anonymous obviously, but she basically states that the deal is all but done. A lot of confidence in such a mystery source.

It seems that the saga that was Fedor's negotiations with the various suitors to his services has ended. We went from UFC staffers and Dana White telling us that a Fedor Emelianenko signing was all but inevitable to the curve ball that is Finkelstein's M-1 promotion being bought out and signing Fedor to a deal. With that now confirmed, we end one saga and begin a new one. There are many questions that come about when talking about the implications of such a deal. Is Fedor signed for one-fight, multiple fights? Who will Fedor fight? Where will he fight? One of the more interesting questions is who is this mysterious "American entertainment company"? We'll look at all of that and more as we take an in-depth look at the new chapter being opened in the Fedor Emelianenko saga.

Why sign with M-1?

It's obvious that fans all over the Internet that are heavily involved in the sport of MMA are furious, upset, confused, and some of even relieved that Fedor has finally signed. Many fans are calling Fedor a "wuss" or saying he's "scared" to fight the UFC's elite. Others simply state that it was logical for him to go where his demands were most likely met with open arms. What do you think? Why did he sign with M-1?

As I have previously wrote about, Fedor's demands were an obvious point that the UFC was failing to work with. The issue about Fedor competing in Combat Sambo, issues involving Finkelstein wanting a co-promotional event with the UFC, Fedor wanting to fight in front of his countrymen, and Fedor being matched up with only top competitors. Apparently, it was too tough for Dana White to secure a deal for him because of these demands. He had stated in previous interviews that the Russians were "crazy". That certainly didn't help matters. Looking at that list of demands, it's pretty obvious why Fedor signed with M-1. M-1 is in Russia and it was ran by his manager, Vadim Finkelstein, along with a few other backers. Here's a good list of the reasons why I think he signed with M-1:

1. Fedor will most likely be able to compete in the Combat Sambo Championships without any problems. It will promote MMA in Russia. It will also allow him to stay close to home.
   
2. Fedor's management ink the deal with their own promotion, a promotion that they now run for an American company. Finkelstein's whole perogative from the beginning was to get more exposure for M-1. This is a brilliant deal for an American company because they can leave the company in the hands of someone who already had a passion for promoting the organization and elevating MMA in Russia as well as getting exposure for M-1. It will also allow the American company to allow Finkelstein to run things in his own country where his connections will no doubt come in very handy.
   
3. Instead of trying to work out a co-promotion out through Fedor's contract with another promotion, M-1 will now have arguably one of the best pound for pound fighters in the world. They may have an easier time getting co-promotional deals together and getting their name out there. No more being shoved around by organizations like Bodog, more events with emphasis on the M-1 name.
   
4. Fedor stays in Russia, will be able to see his family, and above all, will promote MMA in Russia and help progress it, an ambassador to MMA in Russia. Call him "Captain Russia".
   
5. Fedor is most likely under a non-exclusive contract. Since Finkelstein is his manager AND running M-1, there are multiple possibilities. They could contract him for fights in other organizations while always having a fallback in M-1.

So, you still think it was a bad idea? For the fans, sure. We don't get to see Fedor going up against the best in the world in the UFC Heavyweight Division. But from Fedor's demands, was it a bad deal for him? Absolutely not. He got everything he could have wanted from the deal, including a rumored $10 million dollars, which goes a long way in Russia.

M-1 has him, now what?

Now that M-1 has Fedor under their umbrella, what happens now? There are various rumors out there. For now, we can take Loretta Hunt's quote to heart and believe that he will probably headline an inaugural event in January or February for the new M-1 variant organization. Before this deal was confirmed, we had been hearing some rumors about a possible year end fight for Fedor. Josh Gross mentioned that there were rumors involving K-1 veteran Mark Hunt rematching Fedor in an end of the year K-1 Hero's card. Obviously, it sounds like that won't be happening.

We can always speculate all kinds of other possibilities as well. Finkelstein could manage Fedor's non-exclusivity to M-1 and get some deals done with big promotions such as K-1 Hero's for some matchups in Japan. Fedor's PRIDE reign made him a star in Japan and they did coin him with the nickname "The Last Emperor". He was a good draw to the Japanese fans. I'm not entirely sure who the hell they could get to match him, but Josh Barnett's name always pops up in those kinds of discussions.

More than likely, Fedor will fight under the new M-1 branded name that we will see come out in the coming weeks. I'm not sure at all who he would fight that is within the M-1 organization that would give him a challenge. I'm not sure what M-1's take would be on Fedor. Do they challenge him or do they give him a fighter of much lesser ability right off the bat? Fedor's skills shouldn't be rusy, he will have just done the Sambo Championships the month before hand.

Another possibility is signing former UFC champ Ricco Rodriguez to some type of fight. Right now, it'd probably be a lopsided fight, but if Ricco could get into some decent shape and perform as he did when he fought Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira to a decision, it may not be a bad fight. That's my addition to the Fedor speculation mill. Maybe he gets killed, but I'd watch it.

"American Entertainment Company"?

This is probably the most intriguing bit of news from the deal. It almost makes me excited with anticipation of the press conference because there are a lot of what ifs. Will this be the coming out for Mark Cuban to declare his insane interest in MMA for the future? Has ProElite made a bold move in the MMA market? Who else could it possibly be? The general consensus is that it's Mark Cuban. Even on Fedor's Russian website forum, the consensus is that it may be Mark Cuban, and even Russian MMA fans are disappointed that Fedor isn't going to fight in the UFC. First, let's discuss the unbelievable possibilities there are if Mark Cuban has bought M-1. Cuban is not an idiot.

Mark Cuban buys M-1 under the HDNet name. If that is the case, this could possibly be one of the smartest moves in MMA. Think about it... seriously. Cuban would have single handedly in one month's time, created both a U.S. MMA promotion and an International MMA promotion under the same banner, signed some decent UFC veterans under one promotion, and possibly the best pound for pound heavyweight in the world with another promotion. Not only that, but he's also added a tremendous amount of talent from the Russia MMA scene that will now be able to mix matchups between each other and U.S. competitors. Furthermore, he has nearly solidified the super bout in Josh Barnett vs. Fedor Emelianenko. This is all hypothetical of course and relies on a Cuban buyout of M-1, but the possibilities are there.

Could we also be smelling Ed Fishman in the picture somewhere? As stated by MMADigest in an article regarding Cuban, Cuban is very serious about getting into MMA and having serious partners, including Ed Fishman and maybe Vadim Finkelstein and company. 

Also, the HDNet would be able to co-promote both organizations together and have events together. The possibilities are endless, and Cuban has the money to pick up any free agents he wants, and begin to pull fighters away from the UFC if he chooses to try to. We may have some exciting times ahead of us.

Would ProElite make such a bold move?

With all the buyouts from ProElite, it's always a possibility. They have a good amount of talent that they've obtained, but to be perfectly honest, I doubt ProElite had the money left to push it into a purchase of M-1, unless M-1 went for fairly cheap. I will say that the overall structure of the M-1 company now is inline with how ProElite has done business in the past. When they have bought an organization, they have left the management team intact to run the company under the ProElite umbrella. Many companies have done that before, so it wouldn't be a huge tipoff as to it being ProElite.

In my opinion, it's more likely that Cuban had some type of deal going or another organization did.

**UPDATE**

Frank Trigg has added some more rumors to the mill as far as who has bought the M-1 Mixfight company. Although not 100% positive, Trigg has stated that he believes it is not Mark Cuban or Ed Fishman who has bought the company. This throws a big curveball into the race, but ProElite seems to still be in the running. Other rumors involve the World Wrestling Entertainment or the WWE. Although Cuban isn't completely out of the rumors, Trigg has been correct in talking about this rumor and he did accurately break the story to the MMA community.

ProElite still seems rather out of it considering all the money they have recently put into many of the other organizations that they have bought. The WWE is a very interesting prospect because the key demographic that MMA has been taking from is pro wrestling fans. Wrestling has seen a drop in their numbers due to the rising popularity of mixed martial arts. Are they going to start trying to take a share from the pie? It's possible. Hopefully, if they are a player in this race, they don't turn M-1 into a extravagant spectacle, although the Asian MMA community would love that.

The other rumor involved Zuffa. Did Zuffa pull one over all of our heads and just flat out decide to fund M-1 and get Fedor as part of the deal? I doubt it. Considering they were adamant in not allowing Fedor to be involved in some of his demands, I would say they finally succumbed to dealing with Fedor. It's always a possibility that Zuffa is taking a new approach though. After being burned in the PRIDE deal, maybe they did put some money into M-1 to help develop the Russia and Eastern Block country fighters as well as enable themselves to use Fedor and co-promote with M-1. It would also allow them a new entry point into the Asian market without the same approach as they used with PRIDE. Instead of disbanding the organization, Finkelstein and company could run it with their connections and experience in the market. It seems very unlikely. Zuffa may have changed their tune though.

Sherdog has some things to add as well:

Sherdog.com has learned the new organization will run under the M-1 Global moniker and plans to promote shows in Russia, Japan and the United States with the first event possibly coming to fruition as soon as New Year's Eve. A news conference has been tentatively scheduled for Oct. 23 in New York City to announce the signing as well as to introduce the new promotion to the media. 

So, we may see Fedor much soon than January or February. It will also be under a global M-1 name, and it seems to hint that there possibly could be some sort of promotion in the works soon. Fedor's representation will be in the States at the end of this month. Will M-1 co-promote with HERO's or do their own thing here in the States possibly? It could be a very exciting time in MMA toward the end of the year. We will find out on October 23rd.

Exciting?

I'm actually a bit excited as to hear what company actually purchased M-1. I'm not excited at the prospect of a lackluster free agent market of heavyweights that Fedor can grab to fight. There is only one real battle out there that we can see in Josh Barnett vs. Fedor Emelianenko. Mark Cuban has the money to sign fighters, and buy an organization like M-1. If he has done it, it will be an exciting time in MMA and could possibly become a highly competitive market in the U.S. as well as internationally. I doubt it would happen very quickly though, and Cuban wouldn't have access to the best fighters in the world due to them being tied up in the UFC. UFC fighters will have other options though. Until we actually hear the outcome of this deal from the press conference though, for now.. all we know is that Fedor won't be fighting in the UFC and we won't be seeing those big marquee matchups we hoped for anytime soon.

Also check out our in-depth look at the International Fight League's problems with the IFL Grand Prix in today's postings as well.

An increasing interest in the MMA community has recently boosted the number of suitors involved in the saga of Fedor Emelianenko. With a recent trip by Fedor's representation to the bargaining table, Vadim Finkelstein, Apy Echteld, and Reed Wallace have become names that the MMA community has learned to know and have been dreaded by some MMA fans. It isn't just fans that are dreading these three names behind the negotiation tale that is being written as I write this. Dana White, President of the UFC, has also stated his distaste for the negotiations with the Russian delegation and Fedor's U.S. representation. A week long trip by Finkelstein and Echteld still could not yield a decision on the future of the PRIDE Heavyweight Champion, and to make matters more complicated, new suitors have joined the hunt. Curtain opens.. welcome Mark Cuban to the show. ¹

Mark Cuban, if you follow sports in general, is the well-known energetic, enthusiastic owner of the NBA's Dallas Mavericks. This week, Sherdog reported that Cuban was in ongoing discussions with Fedor's representation to bring the "Last Emperor" to the HDNet lineup.² Does Mark Cuban really have a chance at creating an organization? Or does he have a chance at promoting Fedor and luring in fighters to create cards because of one fighter? Let's take a look inside what Mark Cuban can do, and what could possibly be the biggest MMA undertaking for a new entrepeneur in the sport

Cuban's intuition

For those of you not acclimated with the IT industry, Mark Cuban is a huge name that arose in a very hot time in the industry. He was able to go from working as a bartender, to selling a company for $6 million dollars to the Internet giant at the time, CompuServe. CompuServe was a subsidiary of H&R Block. H&R bought MicroSolutions, a company that integrated and resold software such as Lotus Notes, CompuServe Internet Service, and was one of the first companies to sell technologies like the old Carbon Copy paper. Cuban officially netted a little over $2 million from the sale.

But how did he make his reported billions? Do any of you remember Broadcast.com? If you don't, Broadcast.com came about during the dot-com boom. I remember using it a few times to listen to live radio on the Internet at the time, and that was their main product. This was one of the first companies to utilize internet radio. Today, these technologies are known as Yahoo! Launchcast and Platinum. Yahoo! bought the company out, and Cuban netted over $5.9 Billion dollars in Yahoo! stock from the deal.

Of course, with this type of money in his palm, he was able to do extraordinary things that most millionaires couldn't even do. To this date, Cuban has ventures in a number of technology startups, many including web-based search engines, broadcasting tools, web radio, but his primary startup that has been anticipated for years was the acquisition of HD television networks. Cuban owns HDNet, which is HD programming that broadcasts all video in High Definition format for the newer generation of televisions. It is the first high definition satellite network of its kind, and will eventually make Mark Cuban even richer than he already is. If you have digital cable and they offer HDNet, it's the only network of its kind that is offered in the world.

Cuban's other ventures include owning the Dallas Mavericks, bidding to own the Pittsburgh Penguins, Chicago Cubs, and Pittsburgh Pirates. He's also received over a million dollars in fines from the NBA for on court antics such as excessively cursing at the referees, making press conference remarks regarding poor referee performance, and booing campaigns against former players. On the other hand, for every fine he received from the NBA, he matched with a charitable donation to an organization, and even went so far to work at a Dairy Queen in Coppell, Texas when the franchise was offended by a comment he had said stating that Ed T. Rush, the NBA's manager of officials, "couldn't even run a Dairy Queen".²

According to Frank Trigg at TAGGRadio, this isn't Cuban's first MMA venture. He did deal with WEC before it was owned by Zuffa, and was broadcast on HDNet for awhile. Cuban has been involved in MMA for around 4-5 years already, so he does have some type of experience with dealings in the MMA game.⁵

A look inside the Cuban dynasty 

All of these accomplishments and antics are what Mark Cuban brings to the table. He's an enthusiastic billionaire who doesn't mind spending money to bring what the people want to see. Maybe that's what these negotiations need, a kid inside a billionaire's body. But many fans would say that the kid isn't speaking here, it's the business man. Cuban is reportedly looking to sign Fedor Emelianenko to a contract that would bring him to the HDNet fight nights in order to increase viewership. It is still undetermined whether or not Cuban would actually create his own MMA organization or simply promote Fedor to organizations and set up fights to be shown on the HDNet channels. According to Cuban:

"We would work with his promoters to place him in fights from affiliated promoters or in fights we promote ourselves," said Cuban, who plans on partnering with established MMA organizations to fill the weekly quota of bouts HDNet would need for its successful Friday Fight Night series. "It's the highest rated sports programming by far [on HDNet]," Cuban said. "Our MMA programming on HDNet beats networks that have five times or more the carriage that we do. So it's been a big winner for us and we expect it to get even better."

It beats the networks that have five times or more the carriage that they do? I was unable to actually find any proof of that statement. This could be a fairly accurate statement considering SpikeTV runs a good number of shows during the month while HDnet is only featuring a show every Friday night. But what do these fight nights really have that SpikeTV isn't already promoting. From the looks of it, a new show every Friday that isn't a re-run of previous fights. UFC Unleashed definitely is a show dedicated, much like the PRIDE FC show on FSN, to showcasing fighters' resumes. But what would you rather watch as a die-hard MMA fan, new fights or old classics? With the sport growing and more fighters coming into the MMA game, the demand for events is rising. Cuban is certainly positioning himself to take a big step into creating more events for the fans.

Another note about SpikeTV and the UFC is that UFC Fight Night events are very far apart right now. We could potentially see a change in that since more fighters are beginning to cruise into the UFC and the WEC is also growing fairly quickly. For the month of September, SpikeTV will host 2 major MMA events, UFC 75 and a UFC Fight Night, along with the premiere of the Ultimate Fighter reality series and the subsequent episodes that follow. For now, the ratings for Spike will most likely dramatically increase as the year progresses due to the reality show and the events being broadcast for free on the network. This would put to waste the remarks Cuban made.

But what does Friday Fight Night have going for it? Newer fights in smaller organizations? Who cares you say? Interestingly enough, they do show IFO events such as the latest Fireworks in the Cage event featuring Travis Wiuff and Sean Salmon.³ I did find this rather interesting since that event was talked about frequently in the community because it had many UFC veterans on the card that could potentially get the eyes of the giant looking their way for a contract with that event. But what would the addition of someone like Fedor Emelianenko really do? To be honest, I wouldn't buy the HDNet package unless Fedor fought someone like Josh Barnett. HDNet can't clash these two fighters against each other over and over again, and they would need to sign some of the big name heavyweights in MMA to have a legitimate shot at prolonging the high ratings. Add that with the fact that a majority of households do not have HD televisions, and therefore wouldn't be able to really see the events to their full extent. Also, Fedor is not a well-known fighter to the casual MMA fan in the United States. Would a lot more people really tune into HDNet to see him fight? I say yes if it's the die-hard MMA community, but the jump wouldn't be significant enough to pay Fedor a huge salary.

The Changes

Ultimately, I don't think Mark Cuban can pull off signing Fedor to HDNet, but Cuban's proposal throws a huge curveball into the UFC's negotiating power. You now have a billionaire bidding for the services of Fedor against a MMA conglomerate that is swallowing up the industry and creating a huge demand from the fans to sign the best heavyweight in the world. Not only do I think that this will lead to a bit of leniency from the UFC, but I think it will also help Fedor choose the UFC. If the UFC begins to feel threatened by the prospect of the #1 fighter in the world going to a smaller promotion, they may feel the bite of the community to sign him to a multi-fight deal that concedes to at least some of his demands. It'll either be that direction or the UFC will stick to their guns and Fedor could be lost to another organization. To the casual MMA fan, this isn't a big loss. To the die-hard MMA fan who wanted to see a dream matchup such as Randy Couture vs. Fedor Emelianenko, it's a sigh of disappointment. This is all in theory, of course.

With the recent interview at MMAWeekly involving the signing of Fedor to an Affliction clothing deal, it seems imminent that Fedor will be trading glances at UFC events and most likely will be stepping in the Octagon soon.⁴ For the sake of argument however, Mark Cuban does have the money and power to back a deal that could potentially keep Fedor out of the Octagon. It could keep the Russian rich, free to do what he wants, non-exclusive to any organization, and quite possibly is a better position for co-promoting an event with the Russians in St. Petersburg or Moscow. We certainly will see in the coming week.