In August 2009, Scott Coker announced that Strikeforce entered a partnership with FEG and would be able to freely exchange fighters throughout each organization (including K-1, Dream, Deep and Jewels). It was great news at the time and still remains great news at this time. It remains great news in the past and in the present like some time-traveling statement that will always bring a smile to your face. Somehow, M-1 Global was not included in this Voltron-like partnership. Instead, Strikeforce initially agreed to a co-promotion which started at Strikeforce Fedor vs. Rogers. If it’s anything like M-1’s co-promotional agreement with Affliction, then M-1 gets a $1,200,000 ‘consultation’ fee per event.
After Strikeforce Fedor vs. Rogers, M-1 decided to renegotiate their co-promotional agreement with Strikeforce and, in the end, Fedor was left with two fights with the organization. In truth, no one knows the details of Fedor’s contract with Strikeforce. The only reason we know of his Affliction deal was because of that hefty lawsuit slapped against them by M-1 Global. Since then, Affliction has dropped their counterclaim which could have set up the company for criminal liability by asserting their counterclaim.
In an interview with Sherdog, Scott Coker makes it clear that despite M-1 Global insisting they would like a re-match between Fedor and Vai Cavalo, they ‘don’t have a choice’ and if M-1 Global doesn’t re-sign Fedor, his upcoming (and final) fight with Ubereem will not be for a title.
“Depending on if there’s any future fights, if he fights Overeem, it might not be a title fight. It doesn’t have to be (for the title). If Fedor is on his last fight with us, we wouldn’t make it a title fight with Alistair. But why shouldn’t that fight happen regardless?”
It’s good to see Scott Coker play hardball instead of dodgeball, basketball or any other type of ‘ball’ that isn’t a metaphor for a business tactic. [Source]
