Asked at today's UFC 133 press conference if Fedor Emelianenko would be cut by Strikeforce, UFC CEO and partner in the parent company of Strikeforce Dana White said, "He's being cut, yeah," White told the media. "Why? Do you think we should keep him?"
"You guys thought he was the pound-for-pound best in the world, but I thought he was overrated for years," said White.
Emelianenko, who was the most wanted free agent in MMA history after the August 2009 collapse of Affliction, where he had gone 2-0 following a decade atop Japan's Pride Fighting Championships, went 1-3 for Strikeforce. Strikeforce beat the UFC to the signing because they were willing to co-promote with Fedor's management company M-1 Global.
The UFC was not willing to make that compromise and lost out to Strikeforce, at the time a fierce competitor. Fedor fought once on CBS and thrice on Showtime for the promotion. They had originally hoped to air a Strikeforce pay-per-view headlined by Fedor.
According to Jeremy Botter of Heavy.com White also said:
White did not specify if Emelianenko has already been released, but said that having your promotion carried by Emelianenko is like having it carried by Kimbo Slice.
Slice had been the biggest draw for EliteXC a former competitor of the UFC that also had a deal with Showtime and CBS.
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