Vadim Finkelchtein: "We’d like to see Fedor fight against Brett Rogers"

[venom33]

With Josh Barnett pulled from the Aug. 1 "Affliction: Trilogy" card, Fedor Emelianenko's manager, Vadim Finkelchtein, wants his client to fight Strikeforce heavyweight Brett Rogers instead.

Emelianenko himself doesn't really care which opponent he ends up fighting.

The duo appeared earlier today at a press conference in Moscow to discuss Emelianenko's upcoming fight and even the possibility of the Russian fighter signing with the UFC.

Barnett was pulled from "Trilogy" card on Wednesday after failing a drug test. The test, which was part of Barnett's license renewal in the state of California, detected metabolites from an anabolic steroid.

Since Affliction Vice President Tom Atencio confirmed the failed test and Barnett's removal from the card, a host of potential replacements has been discussed. MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com) reported on Wednesday that middleweight Vitor Belfort had agreed to the fight and was working on financial terms of the deal. A Strikeforce official told MMAjunkie.com that their heavyweights, Fabricio Werdum (scheduled to fight on Aug. 15) and Rogers, will not be made available.

However, Rogers is the guy Finkelchtein wants.

"Everyone in the world now wants to see the fight of Fedor, not Barnett," Finkelchtein said (via M-1Global.com). "People want to see Fedor fight. Belfort can make heavyweight, but the fans don't want this fight. Fedor isn't seeking an easy fight. If logistics weren't an issue, we'd like to see Fedor fight against Brett Rogers. Fans want it, (and) so do we.â€

As for Emelianenko, he's willing to fight anyone.

"I feel disappointed about this situation," he said. "But I will fight anyone who Affliction puts in front of me. I know a lot of fans waited for this fight to happen, and I am sorry for them. I can't do much about it now, but I am in good shape. My training has been good and continues to go well."

Finkelchtein, who confirmed Belfort had agreed to the fight in principle, said an official announcement regarding the eventual choice of opponent should be made today.

Fedor to the UFC?

During the press conference, Finkelchtein also addressed speculation about Emelianenko possibly joining the UFC's roster of heavyweights.

After UFC 100, UFC president Dana White spoke definitively and said Emelianenko would soon be fighting for his organization.

Finkelchtein said his client can fight anywhere, but he again hinted the UFC's contract demands are too restrictive, which is the same issue that's kept a deal from coming to fruition countless times in the past.

"We are open to any offer," Finkelchtein said. "The issue really is with the UFC, not with us. We are ready to fight the UFC champions."

However, the M-1 Global owner and president cautioned that the UFC isn't the end all and be all for heavyweight talent.

"The UFC's roster is occupied by a vast majority of American athletes," Finkelchtein said. "Not every single best fighter is under their banner, so don't believe the hype. There is no real international diversity that's anywhere close to what we're doing with our M-1 Challenge concept."

[silentassasin]

So in other words, Dana is going to have to make some big concessions if he wants Fedor.

Gotta hand it to him by continually dangling the possibility of his joining them Fedor keeps his popularity and mystique growing.