Fedor-Werdum Event Recap Video & Quotes From Current STRIKEFORCE Champs On Historic Event
Filed under: Fight Clips, Interviews, MMA News, Past Events, Video
Thanks to the fans, the press, and the fighters who made
STRIKEFORCE / M-1 GLOBAL Fedor vs. Werdum one of the year’s most phenomenal and talked about sporting events!
Click below to revisit the night with a recap video including
never-before-seen action and emotions captured by SHOWTIME Sports.
SAN JOSE SHOCKER; Werdum makes Fedor tap out in first
Fabricio Wedum scored one of the biggest upsets in MMA history as he made the man who widely regarded as the number-one Pound for Pound fighter, Fedor Emelianenko tap out in the first round of their scheduled three round Heavyweight bout at the HP Pavilion in San Jose, California.
Emelianeko knocked Werdum down early in round one and then jumped on Wrdum. Werdum was able to get a triangle choke combined with an armbar that made the legend tap out for his first loss in over ten years.
The time of the stoppage was 1:09 for Werdum, 238 1/2 lbs of Marina Del Ray, CA and is now 13-4-1 with eight submissions. Emelianenko, 229 lbs of Stary Oskol, Russia and is 31-2-1.
“I am so very, very happy,’’ the six-foot-four Werdum said. “He is such a strong man. He is a great fighter. I would be glad to fight him again.’’
“One that doesn’t fall doesn’t stand up. I was concentrating on the strikes and made a mistake,’’ Fedor said. “I will have to go back and analyze what happened.’’
Werdum may also have earned an immediate shot at STRIKEFORCE heavyweight world champion, Alistair “The Demolition Man” Overeem, whom he’s already defeated once. “I am ready to fight anybody,’’ Werdum said.
Cung Le got revenge as he stopped Scott Smith in round two of their scxeduled three round Middleweight fight.
Le nailed Smith with a spinning kick to the body that sent Smith down. Le jumped on Smith and punched Smith until referee Jason herzog stopped the bout at 1:46.
Le, 184 3/4 lbs of San Jose avenges his only defeat and is 7-1 with all wins coming by stoppage. Smith, 184 3/4 lbs of Elk Green, CA is now18-7-1
“I want to thank Scott Coker and SHOWTIME. I know what happened last time and was determined not to have it happen again. I knew I was in shape. I was pushed really hard during training. I was totally focused. I didn’t eat pizza. I didn’t eat chocolate for six or seven weeks.
Cris Cyborg retained the woman’s Middleweight title with a savage two round beating over a game Jan Finney.
Cyborg bloodied and battered Finney for most of the fight as she landed countless punches and knees but Finney showed no quit until the referee stopped the bout at 2:56 of round two of the scheduled five round bout. Cybor landed a staggering 146 strikes in the almost eight minute fight.
Cyborg, 144 1/2 lbs of Curitba, Brazil is now 11-1 with eight knockouts. Finney, 143 1/2 lbs of Springfield, OH is now 8-8.
“I was really surprised the fight wasn’t stopped in the first round,’’ said Cyborg after her 10th consecutive victory. “I know she was trying hard, but I could tell I was hurting her, especially when she was down and covering up like she was. But it is my job to keep fighting until the fight is over.’’
“I think this, being a world title fight, could have gone on a little longer,’’ she said. “If I was really hurt, I would have tapped.’’, said Finney
Josh Thomson choked out Pat Healy at 4:20 of round three in their scheduled three round Lightweight bout.
Thomson attempted to choke out Healy several times from multiple positions over the first two-plus round before locking in a rear naked choke in the final minute of the bout.
Thomson of San Jose is now 17-3-1 with nine submissions. Healy of Portland, OR is now 13-16
“Strikeforce & M-1 Global: Fedor vs. Werdum” official weigh-in results
By Phil Lanides (SAN JOSE MMA EXAMINER)
All main card fighters made weight without incident for Strikeforce’s “Fedor vs. Werdum” event, which takes place tomorrow at the HP Pavilion in San Jose. Main event fighters Fedor Emelianenko and Fabricio Werdum came in well under the 265 lb. limit. The heavily-favored women’s champion, Cristiane “Cyborg” Santos, who has previously struggled to make the 145 lb. limit, was a half-pound under the limit. Her underdog opponent, Jan Finney, easily made weight.
Undercard fighter Derrick Burnsed barely missed the 155 lb. limit for his bout, and was given time to drop the extra weight, which he did. All fights are now official, and the action begins at 5 PM tomorrow. Examiner.com will be on the scene reporting live.
Here is the full card, along with their weights:
MAIN CARD
• Fedor Emelianenko (229) vs. Fabricio Werdum (238.5)
• Champ Cristiane “Cyborg” Santos (144.5) vs. Jan Finney (143.5)
• Cung Le (184.75) vs. Scott Smith (184.75)
• Pat Healy (155.25) vs. Josh Thomson (155.25)
PRELIMINARY CARD (un-aired)
• Chris Cope (175) vs. Ron Keslar (173.75)
• Bret Bergmark (168.75) vs. Vagner Rocha (171)
• Gareth Joseph (185.25) vs. Yancey Medeiros (184.25)
• Derrick Burnsed (155.6)* vs. Bobby Stack (154.5)
STRIKEFORCE AND M-1 GLOBAL: “FEDOR VS. WERDUM” FINAL PRESS CONFERENCE QUOTES
Thursday, June 24, 2010,
The Grill, HP Pavilion, San Jose, California
“FEDOR VS. WERDUM’’ – This Saturday at HP Pavilion
Live on SHOWTIME® at 10 p.m. ET/PT
SAN JOSE (June 24, 2010) – The fighters and promoters participated in the final press conference Thursday for this Saturday’s highly anticipated STRIKEFORCE and M-1 GLOBAL historic Mixed Martial Arts fight card that will feature the universally recognized No. 1 male and female fighters in the world stepping into the same cage on the same night for the first time. The event will take place at HP Pavilion and will be televised live on SHOWTIME® at 10 p.m. ET/PT (delayed on the West Coast).
Fedor “The Last Emperor” Emelianenko, the world’s No. 1 pound for pound fighter, will take on Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu black belt and top-ranked heavyweight Fabricio Werdum in the main event. The No. 1 female fighter, Cris Cyborg, will defend her STRIKEFORCE Women’s World 145-pounds Championship against Jan Finney in the semi-main.
In other televised action on SHOWTIME: Scott “Hands Of Steel’’ Smith and Cung Le are rematched at 185 pounds and exciting former STRIKEFORCE lightweight champion Josh Thomson will be opposed by veteran submission specialist Pat “Bam Bam’’ Healy.
Doors open at 4:30 p.m. PT. The first live, non-televised fight is at 5.
Tickets for STRIKEFORCE and M-1 Global: Fedor vs. Werdum are on sale at the HP Pavilion box office, all Ticketmaster locations (800) 745-3000, Ticketmaster online (www.ticketmaster.com) as well as www.strikeforce.com. For more information, please also visit www.M-1GLOBAL.com.
What they had to say Thursday:
FEDOR
“I want to thank M-1 GLOBAL and all the organizations for putting this competition together. This is a very important fight for me.
“Fabricio Werdum is one of the greatest fighters. He is a legitimate top 10 fighter and proved that long ago. It is a great honor to perform against him.
“I’d prefer to stay in the background but I know I have media responsibilities that I have to do.’’
FABRICIO WERDUM
“I’m a Fedor fan. This is a very great honor for me to fight the No. 1 fighter in the world. I don’t think he has any weaknesses. I thank Fedor for taking this fight with me.
“I’ve had a great, strong camp. I have worked very hard in all aspects. I’m ready for this fight. This is an opportunity of a lifetime for me. I’ve lived my whole life for this fight. I’m ready.’’
SCOTT SMITH
“I train so hard and I always give it my all. I love MMA but there is something about the sense of urgency I feel during a third round. That’s why my plan for this fight is to bring the third round to the first, and fight the first round like the third.
“I’m a slow-starter and can’t wait to get the first round out of the way. But I’m going after Cung from the start this time.
“I’m really looking forward to fighting again and fighting regularly again. For me, six months is a long layoff.
“I never care who I fight, whether it is for a title or in a tourney. I just want to fight.
CUNG LE
“Scott Smith is a very tough guy and a hard guy to finish because he never quits. Against Scott, a fight is never over until it’s over.
“I didn’t listen to my corner between rounds of our first fight. I’d dominated the first two rounds, but instead of just scoring points in the third, I went for it all and emptied my tank.
“But that was our last fight and that was last year. I’m very excited about the rematch and proud to be on a show of this caliber.’’
CRIS CYBORG
“I’m very happy to be fighting again in the same arena where I won the title and I’m confident I will successfully defend it on Saturday.
“I’m looking forward to a great fight.’’
JAN “CUDDLES’’ FINNEY
“The four-fight winning streak I am on has given me a lot of momentum and confidence going into Saturday.
“Weight will not be a factor. I have fought at 140, even 150 before.
“This is very exciting for me because I literally have nothing to lose. There are no expectations for me. Everyone seems to be treating this matchup as if Cris is fighting someone they picked from the crowd or something like that. All that does is give me extra motivation.
“The key for me is to keep firing back, no matter what she is trying to do. I am in great shape. I am not nervous. I am excited for this opportunity. I hope to open some eyes come Saturday.’’
JOSH THOMSON
“It took me a while after my last fight with Gilbert (Melendez) to regroup, lick some wounds and get healthy again, but now I am 100 percent and very thankful to be fighting on this great card. Thanks to Pat for taking this fight on such short notice.
“There is lots at stake in every fight. I know Saturday is going to be a tough fight. Pat is fighting really well and feels he deserves a shot at the title.
“I am looking forward to a great fight on Saturday.’’
PAT “BAM BAM’’ HEALY
“Training’s been great and I feel great. I am ready to go in there and turn people’s heads and show them that I am a legit 155-pounder.
“This was a quick turnaround for me, but I am very well prepared. I have a great game plan. This fight could go anywhere, but wherever it goes, I’ll be ready for it.’’
FREE PUBLIC WEIGH-IN/ AUTOGRAPH SESSION ON FRIDAY
AT HP PAVILION
(POSTER ART ATTACHED)
WWORLD’S NO. 1 MMA FIGHTER
FEDOR EMELIANENKO,
HEAVYWEIGHT SUPERSTAR FABRICIO WERDUM,
NO. 1 FEMALE/STRIKEFORCE CHAMP CRIS CYBORG,
FORMER WORLD CHAMPS CUNG LE, JOSH THOMSON
& ALL THE FIGHTERS
TOMORROW/Friday, June 25, at HP Pavilion in San Jose, Calif.
WHO: World’s Greatest Pound-For-Pound Fighter Fedor Emelianenko
Top-Ranked Brazilian Superstar Fabricio “Vai Cavalo” Werdum
World’s No. 1 Female Fighter and STRIKEFORCE Champ Cris Cyborg
Hard-hitting Female Fighter Jan Finney
San Jose Resident & Former STRIKEFORCE Middleweight Champ Cung Le
KO Artist and Sacramento Native Scott “Hands of Steel” Smith
Bay Area Native & Former STRIKEFORCE Lightweight Champ Josh Thomson
Veteran Submission Specialist Pat “Bam Bam” Healy & All The Fighters
WHAT: All the fighters participating in the STRIKEFORCE and M-1 Global: Fedor vs. Werdum event at HP Pavilion in San Jose on Saturday, June 26, will weigh in on Friday, June 25, at an OPEN TO THE PUBLIC event in the bowl at HP Pavilion.
The bowl will open for the media beginning at 4 p.m; it will open to the general public at 4:30 p.m. Fighters will step on the scale at 5 p.m. PT.
There will be an autograph signing session for the general public from 3:45 – 4:45 p.m. in the south concourse of the arena. The main entrance doors will open at 3:30 p.m. and concessions will be available.
Tickets for STRIKEFORCE and M-1 Global: Fedor vs. Werdum are on sale at the HP Pavilion box office, all Ticketmaster locations (800) 745-3000, Ticketmaster online (www.ticketmaster.com) as well as www.strikeforce.com. For more information, please also visit www.M-1GLOBAL.com.
WHEN: Tomorrow / Friday, June 25, at 5 p.m. PT (Weigh-In); Autograph Signing at 3:45 p.m.
WHERE: HP Pavilion
525 West Santa Clara Street
San Jose, CA 95113-1520
HDNET’S “INSIDE MMA” TO FEATURE LIVE BROADCAST OF THE “STRIKEFORCE-M-1 GLOBAL: FEDOR VS. WERDUM” WEIGH-INS
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HDNET’S “INSIDE MMA” TO FEATURE LIVE BROADCAST OF THE “STRIKEFORCE-M-1 GLOBAL: FEDOR VS. WERDUM” WEIGH-INS
Live Weigh-in Coverage starts TOMORROW at 8:00 p.m. ET, Kicking Off a |
| DALLAS (June 24, 2010) HDNet’s “Inside MMA” will provide exclusive LIVE coverage of the weigh-ins for “STRIKEFORCE-M-1 Global: Fedor vs. Werdum,” tomorrow night, Friday, June 25 at 8:00 p.m. ET.
Kenny Rice and “The Voice” Michael Schiavello will be joined by an all-star panel of MMA luminaries who will help break down the card and set the stage for the big event! And, Ron Kruck talks to the participants as the excitement of weigh-in Friday unfolds. Fighters stepping onto the scale during the LIVE broadcast will include Fedor Emelianenko, Fabricio Werdum, Cristiane “Cyborg” Santos, Jan Finney, Cung Le, Scott Smith, Josh Thomson, and Pat Healy. “It’s great to take ‘Inside MMA’ on the road – and straight to the fans,” said Andrew Simon, CEO of HDNet Fights. “This Friday, watch the weigh-ins followed by two specials that solidify Fedor’s place in MMA history.” Immediately after the live broadcast of “Inside MMA,” HDNet will air a special edition of “HDNet Fights Vault” featuring Fedor Emelianenko, followed by an encore presentation of ‘The Last Emperor” – a documentary about the legendary fighter. The evening is capped off with the premiere of “HDNet Fights: Sengoku Raiden Championship 13″ at 10:00 p.m. ET. Be sure to see the first television broadcast of the knockout that everyone is talking as Masanori Kanehara defends his Sengoku Featherweight Title against Marlon Sandro. |
| About HDNet HDNet (www.hd.net) is the independent network with unique and thought-provoking content that appeals to men of all ages and is delivered in true high definition. HDNet is the exclusive, high definition home for popular, original programming, including television’s only HD news feature programs “HDNet World Report,” and the Emmy Award winning “Dan Rather Reports,” featuring legendary journalist Dan Rather. Only HDNet goes beyond the headlines to deliver real news that is redefining the way we look at our world. HDNet News is provocative, sometimes controversial and always relevant - telling the important stories of our time in-depth, with attitude and with independence. HDNet is also the exclusive high definition home to critically acclaimed and award winning documentaries as part of the InFocus series. “NASA on HDNet” presents all live shuttle launches through 2010. HDNet presents championship sports coverage featuring the best of Mixed Martial Arts with its Friday night series, “HDNet Fights” (www.hdnetfights.com). ”HDNet Fights” works with leading MMA promoters including DREAM, Sengoku, King of the Cage, XFC, M-1, K-1, K-1 Max, MFC, Adrenaline and more. HDNet produces more live Mixed Martial Arts events than any other network and HDNet’s “Inside MMA” is the hottest Mixed Martial Arts program on television, giving MMA fans their weekly fix for everything MMA, while “Fighting Words with Mike Straka,” goes one-on-one with some of the biggest names in the sport. HDNet also features regular season games from the newly formed United Football League. HDNet also delivers the world’s largest and most diverse concert line-up through the HDNet Concert Series. The HDNet Concert Series features leading artists and bands including Paul McCartney, Mariah Carey, John Mayer, Nickelback and more. HDNet also features revealing lifestyle programming featuring “Art Mann Presents,” “Girls Gone Wild,” “Deadline” and “Get Out!” Only HDNet Movies (www.hdnetmovies.com) delivers exclusive Sneak Previews of new movies before they hit theaters. The HDNet Movies Sneak Preview series features top Hollywood stars in critically acclaimed performances including Gwyneth Paltrow, Joaquin Phoenix, Demi Moore, Michael Caine, Tom Hanks, Vera Farmiga, Parker Posey, Brian Cox, Matthew Broderick, Brittany Snow, Eric Bana, John Malkovich, Emily Blunt, Robin Williams, Charlize Theron and Kim Basinger. In addition to being the exclusive home of Sneak Previews, HDNet Movies viewers enjoy the best films from the classics of the 1950s-1970s, to favorite films from the 1980s and 1990s, to recently released theatrical films. HDNet Movies offers subscribers a premium movie viewing experience in true HD, and more original movies shot entirely in HD than any other network. Launched in 2001 by Mark Cuban and General Manager Philip Garvin, the HDNet networks are available on AT&T, Charter Communications, Comcast, DIRECTV, DISH Network, Insight, and Verizon FiOS. The HDNet networks can be followed via Facebook at facebook.com/HDNet, facebook.com/HDNetFights and facebook.com/HDNetMovies and via Twitter at twitter.com/hdnet, twitter.com/hdnetfights and twitter.com/hdnetmovies. |
STRIKEFORCE & M-1 GLOBAL: ALL ACCESS
Pre-Order and Sample Today at http://strikeforce.sho.com
Live Strikeforce & M-1 GLOBAL: Fedor vs. Werdum
To Stream Simultaneously With Live SHOWTIME® Telecast
Saturday, June 26, From HP Pavilion in San Jose, Calif.
SHOWTIME Sports once again will offer Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) fans around the world STRIKEFORCE: All Access, the cutting edge online interactive experience, live on Saturday, June 26, for STRIKEFORCE and M-1 GLOBAL: Fedor vs. Werdum from HP Pavilion in San Jose, Calif.
The immersive digital initiative will stream simultaneously with the live SHOWTIME® telecast beginning at 10 p.m. ET* and will be available to fans around the world.
STRIKEFORCE: All Access debuted on April 11, 2009, when world-class MMA promotion STRIKEFORCE brought Frank Shamrock vs. Nick Diaz to SHOWTIME. The unique experience was offered again on June 6, 2009 for the Robbie Lawler vs. Jake Shields event and went global for “Carano vs. Cyborg” on Aug. 15, 2009. STRIKEFORCE and M-1 GLOBAL: Fedor vs. Werdum will be the first offering of STRIKEFORCE: All Access in 2010.
With STRIKEFORCE: All Access, fans can be their own director and toggle among five live cameras with full pause and rewind capabilities including SHOWTIME Sports exclusive CageCam®—a small and high quality camera worn by the referee which takes viewers inside the cage during the fights. It is the closest and most intimate viewing experience ever presented in MMA. Audio tracks will include the SHOWTIME telecast fight call by host and play-by-play man Gus Johnson, and color commentators Frank Shamrock and Mauro Ranallo, as well as the corresponding audio to the selected camera.
STRIKEFORCE: All Access will cost $24.95 per user and is available for pre-order at http://strikeforce.sho.com beginning today. Purchase includes access to the live stream and replays anytime thereafter through July 1.
As part of STRIKEFORCE: All Access fans also will receive a live Twitter feed from the event and can join behind-the scenes staff in tweeting about “Strikeforce” and “SHOWTIME Sports” during the evening.
Through a Facebook® Connect application, fans will be able to make predictions, comment on the live fights, discuss outcomes and even talk a little smack directly on the All Access page.
Other features include professional and amateur photography from the spectacle in the arena. Images of the fights, fan interaction and backstage will be uploaded during the live event via Flickr, the popular image and video hosting website and online community.
The June 26 event will mark the first time in MMA history that the No. 1 male and female fighters in the world will step into the cage on the same night. Fedor, long considered the world’s top pound for pound fighter, will take on world-ranked Fabricio Werdum and share the spotlight with female wrecking machine Cris Cyborg, who will defend her STRIKEFORCE Women’s World Middleweight (145 pound) Championship against Jan Finney.
*Telecast airs live in the U.S. at 10 p.m. ET/PT on SHOWTIME (delayed on the West Coast); STRIKEFORCE: All Access will be webcast live in available countries at 10 p.m. ET/7 p.m. PT.
Facebook® is a registered trademark of Facebook Inc.
CageCam® is a registered trademark of Showtime Networks Inc.
FREE PUBLIC WEIGH-IN/ AUTOGRAPH SESSION ON FRIDAY AT HP PAVILION
WORLD’S NO. 1 MMA FIGHTER
FEDOR EMELIANENKO,
HEAVYWEIGHT SUPERSTAR FABRICIO WERDUM,
NO. 1 FEMALE/STRIKEFORCE CHAMP CRIS CYBORG,
FORMER WORLD CHAMPS CUNG LE, JOSH THOMSON
& ALL THE FIGHTERS
Friday, June 25, at HP Pavilion in San Jose, Calif.
WHO: World’s Greatest Pound-For-Pound Fighter Fedor Emelianenko
Top-Ranked Brazilian Superstar Fabricio “Vai Cavalo” Werdum
World’s No. 1 Female Fighter and STRIKEFORCE Champ Cris Cyborg
Hard-hitting Female Fighter Jan Finney
San Jose Resident & Former STRIKEFORCE Middleweight Champ Cung Le
KO Artist and Sacramento Native Scott “Hands of Steel” Smith
Bay Area Native & Former STRIKEFORCE Lightweight Champ Josh Thomson
Veteran Submission Specialist Pat “Bam Bam” Healy & All The Fighters
WHAT: All the fighters participating in the STRIKEFORCE and M-1 Global: Fedor vs. Werdum event at HP Pavilion in San Jose on Saturday, June 26, will weigh in on Friday, June 25, at an OPEN TO THE PUBLIC event in the bowl at HP Pavilion.
The bowl will open for the media beginning at 4 p.m; it will open to the general public at 4:30 p.m. Fighters will step on the scale at 5 p.m. PT.
There will be an autograph signing session for the general public from 3:45 – 4:45 p.m. in the south concourse of the arena. The main entrance doors will open at 3:30 p.m. and concessions will be available.
Tickets for STRIKEFORCE and M-1 Global: Fedor vs. Werdum are on sale at the HP Pavilion box office, all Ticketmaster locations (800) 745-3000, Ticketmaster online (www.ticketmaster.com) as well as www.strikeforce.com. For more information, please also visit www.M-1GLOBAL.com.
WHEN: Friday, June 25, at 5 p.m. PT (Weigh-In); Autograph Signing at 3:45 p.m.
WHERE: HP Pavilion
525 West Santa Clara Street
San Jose, CA 95113-1520
FEDOR, CRIS CYBORG, JOSH THOMSON, CUNG LE MEDIA WORKOUT QUOTES
Wednesday, June 23, 2010,
American Kickboxing Academy (AKA), San Jose, California
“FEDOR VS. WERDUM’’ – This Saturday at HP Pavilion
Live on SHOWTIME® at 10 p.m. ET/PT
SAN JOSE (June 23, 2010) – This Saturday, STRIKEFORCE and M-1 GLOBAL will make history when they present a Mixed Martial Arts fight card that will feature the universally recognized No. 1 male and female fighters in the world stepping into the same cage on the same night for the first time. The eagerly awaited event will take place at HP Pavilion and be televised live on SHOWTIME® at 10 p.m. ET/PT (delayed on the West Coast).
Fedor “The Last Emperor” Emelianenko, the world’s No. 1 pound for pound fighter, will take on Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu black belt and top-ranked heavyweight Fabricio Werdum in the main event. The No. 1 female fighter, Cris Cyborg, will defend her STRIKEFORCE Women’s World 145-pounds Championship against Jan Finney in the semi-main.
Fedor and Cyborg were joined by Cung Le and Josh Thomson, who also will appear in featured
fights on Saturday, at a Media Workout Wednesday at American Kickboxing Academy (AKA).
Le, of San Jose, is a former STRIKEFORCE middleweight titlist. He relinquished the belt last
year to pursue an acting career that has since spawned two major motion picture releases, but
returned Dec. 19, 2009, at HP Pavilion to face Sacramento’s Scott Smith. Le dominated before
losing via a shocking third-round KO. He’ll take on Smith in a rematch of one of MMA’s most epic
come-from-behind knockouts.
Thomson, of San Jose, will return to the cage for the first time since losing the STRIKEFORCE
world lightweight title to top rival Gilbert “El Nino” Melendez on Dec. 19, 2009. He’ll face
dangerous submission artist Pat “Bam Bam” Healy in a lightweight bout.
Tickets for STRIKEFORCE and M-1 Global: Fedor vs. Werdum are on sale at the HP Pavilion
box office, all Ticketmaster locations (800) 745-3000, Ticketmaster online
www.ticketmaster.com) as well as www.strikeforce.com. For more information, please also visit
What they had to say:
FEDOR
“I am always interesting in performing against top 10 fighters and Werdum has been in the top 10 for a long time. He’s a good, very patient fighter who thinks a lot and I am very happy to be fighting him. Style-wise, this should be a very interesting fight.
“The talk about me entering politics are false rumors. As long as I am competing in MMA, there will be no politics for me.
“MMA is a beautiful kind of sport that combines various elements of martial arts. You need to be good in all of them. I am excited about having my wife with me for the first time for a fight of mine in the United States.’’
CRIS CYBORG
“I’m very anxious to get back in the cage and very excited about this fight. It is a great honor to be on the same card as Fedor. I’m looking forward to meeting him and seeing all the other fighters on this show.
“I know Jan Finney is coming to win this. I don’t have a specific plan but I’m ready for anything. I’ll see how the fight starts and then go from there. I expect a tough fight.
“It will be great having (husband and fellow STRIKEFORCE fighter) Evangelista in my corner again. He couldn’t be there last time. He is the one who trains me, who got me started in this sport, so I love it when he is in the corner.
“I’d much rather be the one fighting than having to watch him fight. All I can think of while I am watching him fight is, ‘I hope this ends very quickly.’ ’’
CUNG LE
“I dominated for two-and-a-half-rounds the first time against Scott. Before the last round, my corner told me to take it easy and not take any unnecessary chances. But rather than listen, I tried to close the show with a bang, but it backfired on me.
“Saturday is a new day and a new fight. It is not our last fight and it isn’t last year. I am amped for it.
“I learned a hard lesson from our first fight, but I am determined to move forward. I love to compete and I am very excited about this fight.’’
JOSH THOMSON
“I didn’t make any excuses after the last fight with Gilbert, but ring rust is real. I didn’t get it gone, and Gilbert looked very good but I know why I lost and that is because I didn’t listen to my corner.
“On Saturday, the plan will be, like always, to get off first and dictate the pace. The plan against Gilbert was not to make it a brawl but that is what happened,
“I feel I’ve learned from that fight so expect a different Josh Thomson on Saturday than the one you saw against Gilbert.
“This is going to be a tough fight against a tall guy. There are lots of big fights down the road for me but they will go away fast if I am not totally focused on Saturday.’’
WORLD’S NO. 1 MMA FIGHTER FEDOR EMELIANENKO, HEAVYWEIGHT SUPERSTAR FABRICIO WERDUM
Media Conference Call Highlights
The world’s greatest pound for pound fighter Fedor “The Last Emperor” Emelianenko, top-ranked Brazilian superstar Fabricio “Vai Cavalo” Werdum and STRIKEFORCE CEO Scott Coker participated in a national media conference call to discuss the highly anticipated showdown in the main event of a STRIKEFORCE and M-1 GLOBAL co-promoted Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) fight card at HP Pavilion in San Jose, Calif. on Saturday, June 26, live on SHOWTIME® at 10 p.m. ET/PT (delayed on the West Coast).
The event will mark the first time in MMA history that the No. 1 male and female fighters in the world will step into the cage on the same night. Fedor, long considered the world’s top pound for pound fighter, will share the spotlight with female wrecking machine Cris Cyborg, who will defend her STRIKEFORCE Women’s World Middleweight (145 pound) Championship against Jan “Cuddles” Finney.
M-1 GLOBAL’s Fedor will look to gain revenge three and a half years after the 32-year-old Werdum, a Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu black belt, defeated Fedor’s brother Aleksander, via submission (arm triangle choke) in the first round (3:24) of a bout in 2006.
Simply referred to as “Fedor” by millions of fans around the world, the 6-foot, 235 pound Russian has become the most dominant MMA fighter of all-time since he began his professional career 10 years ago.
During an eight-year tenure in MMA, Werdum has conquered a number of other superstars, including reigning STRIKEFORCE World Heavyweight Champion, Alistair “The Demolition Man” Overeem, Antonio “Big Foot” Silva and UFC stars Gabriel Gonzaga and Brandon “The Truth” Vera.
Here are some highlights of what the fighters and Coker had to say on Friday.
FEDOR EMELIANENKO:
“I’m very happy to be back and fighting in the United States. I’m honored to be fighting Fabricio Werdum and I expect a great fight on June 26.
“It does not matter that he has a victory over my brother. I feel no vengeance because of that. I plan on fighting for myself and for my country.”
Why do most of the fighters who have fought Fedor end up losing the next time they fight?
“I don’t think that the fighters defeat themselves before they get into the cage with me. I think that from my experience the fighters I have fought have all trained hard and come in prepared. As far as how they do in their next fight, I don’t feel there is any mystique or mystery to it. I just think that every person is different on how they handle defeat and how they handle their career.”
What does your future hold with Strikeforce?
“I don’t want to look too far ahead. Right now I’m just looking forward to this fight with Fabricio Werdum. Right now we have two more fights left with this relationship and if everything goes well and we feel good about the relationship I don’t see why we wouldn’t want to extend that.”
What do you think about some of the other top heavyweights in the world like Brock Lesnar and Alistair Overeem and that most of them are bigger in size than you?
“Size and strength doesn’t always define the ability for a fighter to perform in the cage. These particular fighters are all some of the top heavyweights in the world and I have seen their fights and they all perform extremely well and have a lot of talents. But size does not define how well they would perform against me.”
What does define a great fighter?
“I think what defines a great fighter is someone who performs well in the cage. Someone who makes the right decisions during fights; fights fair and respects the sport and as a result gains the respect and the admiration of true fans of the sport of mixed martial arts. Someone who shows good skill and technique and preparation for a fight. Not someone who just relies only on his strength and size but also their abilities in the fights.”
What is left for you to accomplish? Do you have an interest in entering politics after your career ends?
“Well, I’d like to finish my career without any losses and at that point we’ll see what God has planned for me. While I’m an athlete and while I’m fighting I will not pursue a career in politics. What happens after that we’ll see. But I don’t have an intention to do both at the same time.
“I do feel that there is a pressure and a demand for me to keep fighting and for me to keep getting back into the ring. Right now I’m OK with that and after each fight I balance whether I should continue or whether I should stop. Until I feel that I am not effective or not getting out of the sport what I want then I will make the decision to stop.
“It was unpleasant that the fight kept getting postponed and I had to change my training because of it but it had nothing to do with me. I was looking forward to fighting in April and it was unpleasant that I wasn’t able to fight then.”
How do you react to your critics like Dana White?
“I often get secondhand information and my friends will tell me stuff because I don’t pay attention to it or seek it out so that’s how I usually get information to what people are saying. As far as my reaction, I don’t have any reaction. I don’t respond to any compliments of criticism. It’s not something that’s very important to me and I don’t really like to seek out information on what people are saying about me. I’m more interested in spending quality time in my everyday life with my family and friends than cruising the Internet or listening to rumors or call-outs.”
Is your hand healed that you broke in the Rogers fight?
“Everything is fine. Thank you for asking. I didn’t break the hand. It was a dislocation in my thumb and it has healed great.”
UFC heavyweights Shane Carwin-Brock Lesnar fight the following week. Which fight should people watch and why?
“I’m not a UFC fan so I would invite all the fans to watch our fight because we are not in the UFC.”
Asked later to clarify that, Fedor said:
“What I meant to say is that I’m not a fan of watching their fights. Compared to a lot of commercials and the promotion and the anticipation of their fights compared to a lot of the shows I’ve seen there seems to be a lot of negativity in them. So I’m just not a fan of watching their programs. How the fights are presented and the actions and behavior of some of the fighters of the UFC. It takes away from the sport.”
FABRICIO WERDUM:
“I’m very happy to be fighting. I am very happy that Scott Coker believes in me. I’m sure that June 26 is going to be the happiest day of my life.
“This was the best training camp of my life. On June 26 I just have to do the same thing that I did in my training to be victorious.
“I’m not worried about the judging (if it goes to a decision). I think they will make the right decision and will be raising my hand after the fight.”
Why do most of the fighters who have fought Fedor end up losing the next time they fight?
“I think the mental preparation, or lack of mental preparation sticks with them for their future fights. A lot of fighters who have faced Fedor have already lost the fight before ever stepping in the cage with him because Fedor has proven himself to be the greatest in the world.”
How did the delay in the fight hurt your mental focus?
“It’s not been easy but I have been able to maintain that mental focus because the opportunity to fight the world’s greatest heavyweight doesn’t come around every day. I’ve been waiting for this moment my whole career and it’s finally here.”
What has been Fedor’s key to success?
“I have watched Fedor’s fights for his entire career. I think the thing that impresses me the most is his ability to always win. I come from a camp and background, however, that believes in fighting my game and not worrying about my opponent.
“I believe Fedor’s ground game is terribly underrated because he is so used to knocking people out.
“It’s a great honor for me to fight the No. 1 fighter in mixed martial arts such as Fedor. It’s a great inspiration and a motivating factor for me to step into the cage with a man like this.”
SCOTT COKER:
“This is a great matchup. You have the No. 1 fighter in the history of mixed martial arts fighting the No. 1 Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu heavyweight fighter and Top 10 heavyweight in the world. In mixed martial arts anything can happen at any time. One wrong move by either of these guys and it will result in victory for the other. Does one have to win by submission or knockout to get a fair decision? No, I don’t think so.”
How are ticket sales going?
“I think we are over the 10,000 mark now. I think we’ll have a packed house. We have a great fan base here and I think we’ll have a full house. Now that MMA is mainstream we have a big area in the Bay Area to pull from. I think people will be coming from all over. L.A. and the Central Valley. Cung Le will make a difference. He’s a great fighter and has a great presence here. My goal is always to sell out but HP holds 18,265 so that is our goal, but anything over 15,000 is respectable.”
What do you think of the UFC counter-programming with Strikeforce?
“They run their business how they do and we run our business the way we do. We’ll let them keep doing it and running the business the way we do. We had a fight between Gina Carano and Cris Cyborg last summer and it was the highest rated MMA show ever on Showtime, even beating all of Kimbo’s fights. It was great for MMA and great all around. There’s room for everyone. We’re just going to keep plugging along and doing our part.”
Tickets for STRIKEFORCE and M-1 Global: Fedor vs. Werdum are on sale at the HP Pavilion box office, all Ticketmaster locations (800) 745-3000, Ticketmaster online (www.ticketmaster.com) as well as www.strikeforce.com. For more information, please also visit www.M-1GLOBAL.com.
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