Consensus pound-for-pound #1 fighter Fedor Emelianenko and his management (the stale Vadim and company) have reportedly turned down a very lucrative offer made by the Ultimate Fighting Championship. Once again, it has been more of the same back and forth bull that increasingly annoys MMA fans and Dana White alike.

Fedor and his “M1 Global” crew pushed back the following…

- 30 million for 6 fights

- Sambo competition allowance

- Allowance to brand any and all walk-out apparel with M1 Global logos

- An immediate shot at the heavyweight title

The time for Fedor to join the UFC is now. Strikeforce, sure they are a respectable promotion that would provide hype, exposure, etc. but the problem lies in the talent level Emelianenko and his management are electing for him to face.

In order for the Russian’s reputation to rise with US fans and those worldwide, he must, must face top competition and put aside manager Vadim’s ignorance. The top competition in MMA is in the UFC, not Strikeforce, DREAM, or any other organization.

In short, if the UFC was willing to bend a bit on Fedor’s contract, it now exposes Fedor and his crew as somewhat hypocritical. Their argument of contract offers being too restrictive no longer holds up. The moment of truth is here for mister pound-for-pound, and it’s up to him to retain that handle.