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[Cat--Smasher]

M-1 president, Vadim Finklestein once again offers co-promotion deal to UFC - Bloody Elbow

Vadim Finkelstein:

UFC will not go past M-1 in Russia, but I'm not with them in the conflict, I'm ready to talk and work. When I spoke about Lesnar, we discussed it. But Dana White is a difficult fellow, so we'll see. I don't think the UFC will hold fights very often in Russia, maybe once a year to promote, but Russia is not the right marked for them. I'm ready to give them my champions if we can come to an agreement. We have a lot of experience. I want my fighters to perform here and not move between organizations, like Vasilevsky(Former M-1 champion) did. He ran away from us to Bellator. Here's an excerpt from the interview:

Why don't you think Bellator is an elite organization?

Because from Bellator the good fighters move to UFC, and those that remain are not better than M-1 fighters. Forexample Zayats and Volkov were not the best fighters in the M-1 organization, but in Bellator they are perhaps the best. UFC is the best organization, but our level is higher than Bellator. I don't understand when he competes in America in low-level organizations that makes him much cooler than here in Russia. I just don't understand it.

How does the M-1 feel now that Fedor is gone?

We're doing great. We were never dependent on Fedor. Now we're doing the Grand Prix of heavyweights. The first round will be on April 9. in St. Petersburg and the semi-finals May 22 in Moscow, Crocus City -The largest business center in Russia. Our fighters are all very strong and they are very motivated for this tournament. We wanted to involve Sergey Kharitonov, but we have not yet come to an agreement.

I use every opportunity to convince Fedor to return. He still has more to show us.

[SimpleJack]

How does the M-1 feel now that Fedor is gone?

[Ruttened]

How M1 felt with Fedor




How M1 feels without Fedor

[Bork_Lazer]

What I think of when I hear about M-1

[Pasha K]

LOL, I seriously wish Dana White and Finkelstein never ever speak in public again.

One spreads jewels like "We are as popular as soccer" and the other one is now really concerned about how the UFC would do in Russia, and he is such an awesome human being that he actually wants to help them hahahaha

If he is so sure that the UFC will not do even nearly as good as M-1 in Russia, then why he wants to co promote? Why he should even care about them coming to Russia?? (If they actually come).

If the fighters in M-1 are indeed so great, then sooner or later, many of them are going to end in the UFC. Bellator will be just like a bridge for them.
He wants his M-1 champions to fight in the UFC and also in M-1??

And what exactly UFC has to gain with this? What happenes if the M-1 guys indeed beat the UFC fighters? UFC will be simply ridiculed.

That is the main reason of why UFC never accepted the co promotion stuff with Fedor. Because they were very afraid that Fedor would demolish their cashcow Brocky, then he would simply go back to M-1, and what would Dana say then?
He would not be able to say anymore that Fedor is a can, or that Brock is awesome!

The co-promotion stuff is absolutely ridiculous! M-1 is doing good in Russia and some other european countries. But they will never be as popular as the UFC, unless some russian mafioso like Abramovich inverts a lot of money in them. Then they can have a chance.

[Sniggles]

Fedor is a fool for dealing with Vadim.