Finding Fedor: An Attempt to Shed Light on the Russian Star Fails Miserably.
by JonathanSnowden on Nov 2, 2009 11:22 AM EST
43 comments
Watch me try (and fail) to interview Fedor. By watch I mean read.
http://tinyurl.com/yzlw2rv
When you see discussion about how hard it is to market this guy, consider things like this. I love Fedor. I want to see as many MMA outlets as possible succeed. And yet, they can't help me at all.
Someone needs to have Ed Soares call them and explain the translator can spice it up a little for God's sake.
Considering he has been the best MMA fighter on the planet for more than five years, we know very little about Fedor Emelianenko. We know he enjoys wearing sweaters, eating ice cream cones, and ducks. We know he was in the Russian Army, was a world class judoka, and loves Combat Sambo. We know his skin is susceptible to cuts, that he can be hit, that he can be thrown. We have learned he is human, or if not, is at least not indestructible. We are fairly sure money is not his main motivator. But who is he? What does he feel? What are his desires? Why does he step into the cage? What does he dream about at night? These questions have never really been answered? He is an enigma, the unanswerable. And it struck me, a fit of hubris, the thought that perhaps I could be the one to penetrate the protective shell that surrounds him. I could be the one to reveal Fedor to the world. That did not happen.
How bad was it? See for yourself.
The FanPosts are solely the subjective opinions of Bloody Elbow readers and do not necessarily reflect the views of Bloody Elbow editors or staff.
6 recs |
43 comments
| Add comment
Email
Print
Comments
the guy won't do a thing to sell himself
he just won’t play the hype game.
Follow me on Twitter @KidNate
by Kid Nate on Nov 2, 2009 11:25 AM EST reply actions 0 recs
I tried every trick in my arsenal. It was just impossible to get him to open up at all. In a sense, I understand that. I am a stranger and it may seem odd to talk about your life so openly with someone. But the truth is, it is his job to make people want to see him fight. And to do that, you can’t just proclaim to an audience that has never seen you “I am the best.”
They have only your word you are the best. But who are you? Why do you fight? What makes you different than the fighter’s we’ve seen in the UFC? This is the stuff that sells a fighter and a fight.
by JonathanSnowden on Nov 2, 2009 11:39 AM EST up reply actions 0 recs
The stuff that sells a fighter…
are his actual fights.
by Meshuggeth on Nov 2, 2009 11:52 AM EST up reply actions 0 recs
Sure and thats why Anderson Silva sells soo many PPV’s. personality sells in this country what goes on in the ring is secondary.
by JaTinkles on Nov 2, 2009 11:55 AM EST up reply actions 1 recs
Then why does silva and fedor the 2 top fighters on the planet have trouble selling PPV’s. While guys like Tito and Kimbo and Brock sell record ppv numbers. They have a story a personality. Kimbo sucks i the ring but hes the most watched fighter ever. And no what i said is not “why people are so dumb”
by JaTinkles on Nov 2, 2009 12:21 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs
And when you are trying to sell a product to dumb people, you need to account for that.
by Phildo on Nov 2, 2009 12:43 PM EST up reply actions 2 recs
I'm not sure of your point here
You (as a fighter) make more money when people are personally invested in your fights. It makes for higher ratings, more buys, sale of merch, better sponsorships and eventually bigger pay days. Can he be comfortable with his level of pay and not interested in increasing his value? Yeah, sure. Could he do more to maximize his income potential, considering his career has a finite length? Of course he could. So while he is arguably the greatest mixed martial artist in the world, he’s not one of the top businessmen in the field, by any stretch. Like a brilliant artist with works that are unseen by human eyes.
"I’m sorry. I didn’t drink last night, so I’m not funny today."
-Sakuraba
by Blackout612 on Nov 2, 2009 2:32 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs
I don’t think that people are dumb for following people they find personally engaging. Excellence in sports is actually pretty low on the list of why people shell out their money and time to watch sports. They come to care about something; the team, a player, or in the fight game, the fighter himself. And that’s why they watch—- to see that guy they care about.
So no, it’s not stupid for people to care more about fighters they find personally intriguing. Technically proficient fighters who won’t or can’t do what is needed to create connections with the fans are the ones who are the problem.
"an excellent example of why most MMA "journalism" is a joke. Pseudonyms like "toxic" and shitty writing like that dopey article"--- Joe Rogan.
by toxic on Nov 2, 2009 3:34 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs
The only dumb people in this scenario are the promoters who are unable to account for their audience’s taste.
...Behold, a pale horse. The man that sat upon it was Wieters, and hell followed with him.
"BJ on the BE" - Kierkegaard
by Brett Jones on Nov 3, 2009 1:00 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs
I’d say the lion’s share of marketing goes to the promoter.
Twitter: @Mike_Fagan_13
http://www.sackmikegoldberg.com
by Mike Fagan on Nov 3, 2009 10:09 AM EST up reply actions 0 recs
I don’t think this is true for the most succesful fighters in the game (financially, not in the cage). There is an obligation attached to being a main event fighter. The better a fighter is at meeting those obligations, the better they will draw.
Looking at MMA history, we see that a fighter’s charisma and willingness to put on a show before and after his fights is more integral to success than even dynamic performances in the cage. A combination of the two works best, but Tito Ortiz drew a lot of money with lots of sizzle and a ton of zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzandpray.
by JonathanSnowden on Nov 3, 2009 11:12 AM EST up reply actions 0 recs
I think it’s a little of both. But isn’t Fedor his own promoter? He should be trying to do a little bit more I think, especially the way things are.
If there is any possibility of getting the tons of money that he wants from Zuffa, he has to start doing more to market himself now. If he wins 3 fights, even if they’re all on CBS, but keeps acting the way he does, I really don’t see how negotiations will be any different with Zuffa the next time around.
by Phildo on Nov 3, 2009 11:52 AM EST up reply actions 0 recs
Which was fine…until now. Now he’s headlining a CBS card that depends on him being more marketable than he’s ever been, and he’s still pulling the same old tricks.
by jbotter on Nov 2, 2009 11:42 AM EST up reply actions 0 recs
Fedor is my favorite fighter.
But why do you want to know all those thigns anyways?
by Meshuggeth on Nov 2, 2009 11:27 AM EST reply actions 0 recs
Fedor is your favorite fighter
So you defend his unfortunate self-marketing skills.
"I’m sorry. I didn’t drink last night, so I’m not funny today."
-Sakuraba
by Blackout612 on Nov 2, 2009 2:33 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs
Fedor is the worst interview in the game
Vadim actually answers more questions than Fedor does, I just don’t get it.
Head Kick Legend
Twitter @HeadKickLegend
by D.W. on Nov 2, 2009 11:29 AM EST reply actions 0 recs
Have you listened to a GSPC interview?
Twitter: @Mike_Fagan_13
http://www.sackmikegoldberg.com
by Mike Fagan on Nov 3, 2009 10:09 AM EST up reply actions 0 recs
I think it is interesting to get to know the man behind the fighter. I wish Fedor could/would do a better job getting people excited for his fights.
by Ty Lannister on Nov 2, 2009 11:32 AM EST reply actions 0 recs
There’s a lot of Fedor interviews online if you google around a bit. I actually enjoy reading his interviews. He’s a real mountain man lol.
by IpullguardIRL on Nov 2, 2009 11:46 AM EST reply actions 0 recs
I didn't think
the interview was that bad. It’s just very apparent that the guy A) Never likes to discuss his strategies for a fight, B) Prefers to be out of the public spotlight, and C) Is an enigma, and probably wants to keep it that way
Supporting all Las Vegas MMA. Xtreme Couture FTMFW.
'09 is the year of the FW's.
by ElliotMatheny on Nov 2, 2009 2:08 PM EST reply actions 0 recs
He is one of my favorites because he doesn't market himself
I enjoy watching him fight, I like his respectful quiet attitude. He goes in and fights, he doesn’t call people out, he doesn’t shamelessly self promote some movie or product he is endorsing. He seems like he could care less about the money, and is perfectly happy to live in the ass end of Russia with his family and eat ice cream. If he was loud and brash I wouldn’t enjoy him as a fighter as much. I will always root for him because he is immensely talented, doesn’t let his size as a heavy weight faze him, he goes in beats you, shakes your hand then he goes home. Does he need a penis tattooed on his chest to garner interest?( I in no way want a discussion on Brock v Fedor it was only a joke)
by despisedIcon856 on Nov 2, 2009 4:12 PM EST reply actions 1 recs
The enigma only adds to the intrigue. If we had to listen to Fedor ad nauseum, 24/7 leading up to this weekend’s fight, it would strip away half the teflon.
Kimbo isn’t popular because we know the mand behind the persona, he’s popular because kids are enamored with the thug imagery.
"Mindwarp earthlings seek to change our path" - Nick Blinko
by Skoobs on Nov 2, 2009 4:56 PM EST reply actions 0 recs
In soviet russia
they’re sick of that joke. Coincidentally, I am too.
Welcome to the Machida Error.
by slapjaw ackrite on Nov 2, 2009 7:47 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs
If he were,
it wouldn’t be coincidental, would it?
by klown on Nov 3, 2009 10:03 AM EST up reply actions 0 recs
No I have a friend there
but I’ll admit I was an ass.
Welcome to the Machida Error.
by slapjaw ackrite on Nov 3, 2009 10:06 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs
You know, all of these priest are the same anyway
He can’t arm bar public appeal but he has done what only a small number of spiritual masters have done….arm barred his ego. He has on need for approval or adulation. He has found a way to be competely happy without any attatchments to status or need for power. He loves his sport and apppreciates the prosperity it has brought him but his loyalties in that respect will stay with the Russians. Basically, what I’m trying to say is he’s like a good man of the clergy who teaches through his own example rather than by gving sermons who also happens to be an inredible athlete and martial artist.
I guess he would be like a Shaolin priest .
In any case, we’ll see if the fight professor can elicit any more emotion from the guy in a few days.
by naturalist on Nov 2, 2009 9:46 PM EST reply actions 0 recs
Mr. Snowden your article does a good job of showing why Fedor has such a hardcore fan base but will probably never succeed in connecting with the wider audiences.
To the hardcore mma fan his stone facade allows us to project whatever we want onto him. He represents everything the serious fan of the martial arts wants to see in it’s fighters: a stoic, ascetic, who lives the philosophy of bushido.
To the casual fan this enigmatic personality means he is lacking in the element they need to have an interest: a storyline. He is not the Backyard Brawler, the Biker Badass, the All-American Good Guy, or any other understandable persona. Without an archetype to easily fit him in, there will be no emotional investment for the casual fan. A future persona could be developed as the unfeeling, unbeatable, almost inhuman foreigner (which is how he’s viewed by a lot of hardcore fans). But this only works if casuals fans are familiar with him and have had a chance to actually see him demolish his opponents. We are looking at 2 or 3 fights down the line before such a image could grip the public. Who knows if Strikeforce could last that long.
by nottheface on Nov 3, 2009 1:02 AM EST reply actions 1 recs
Or even worse: Strikeforce puts the time and money into him and after three fights on television, the public is ready to accept Fedor as a major star….just in time for him to sign with the UFC.
I agree it is hard to develop a passionaite fanbase for a fighter that seems to lack passion in his own life. How do you get fired up for a Fedor fight as a fan? Even he doesn’t seem that interested!
by JonathanSnowden on Nov 3, 2009 11:09 AM EST up reply actions 0 recs
His lack of passion is what draws his cult fanbase. Unfortunately they don’t represent a large constituency. What Strikeforce has got to hope for is that he wins in spectacular fashion against Rogers and maybe even Alistair. Think Tim Sylvia and Kevin Randleman. If he does that then American audiences are going to wonder if he’s beatable. Then you can market him. not as a person himself but as a question: is his opponent finally the one who can defeat him. He’s now no longer a fighter, but more a monster from greek myth that our heros have to prove themselves against. His lack expressionless features now feed into that storyline. Now your casual fan has a story line to draw him: can this fighter not only survive in the cage with Fedor, but could he possible be the ONE to defeat him?
If Fedor was with the UFC it would be a slamdunk for their marketing team. Dana White would not only gushing about him, but giving the green light for Rogan and every fighter to do the same. They could run an hour special on Fedor with all his PRIDE and now Affliction highlights. They could run a Spike best of Fedor fight night, intermingled with GSP, Couture, Silver, etc. telling us why he is the best in the world. For a Fedor/Lesnar fight they would easily get more press coverage, from both mma outlets and the mainstream media, then any fight in history. If he goes 3-0 in Strikeforce and then goes to the UFC, all they’ve done is turn a slamdunk into a 360 windmill tomahawk.
by nottheface on Nov 3, 2009 1:43 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs
He has a dull personality.. he better steamroll brett rogers if Strikeforce wants to be able to market him better..
If he has anything short of an amazing/dominating/awesome/(insert adjective) victory this weekend, he won’t live up to the “baddest man alive” hype, and will just remain as a fighter with a boring personality that the casuals won’t even care about.
by Anton Tabuena on Nov 3, 2009 2:01 AM EST reply actions 0 recs
Somebody needs to read this to Fedor.
by The Bronzeville Bully on Nov 3, 2009 4:27 AM EST reply actions 0 recs
another fedor interview with the same results.
by Ronnie Liddle on Nov 3, 2009 5:56 AM EST reply actions 0 recs
I happen to like Fedor’s personality because he has a mysterious quality to him, he doesn’t look like an elite athlete yet kicks the shit out of everyone anyway and he just looks plain nonchalant about everything.
He may be slightly boring yes, but his personality is also unique. Also there is a 95% possibility he is a soviet robot designed in the cold war era and that is just kick ass!
by TheBeaves on Nov 3, 2009 7:25 AM EST reply actions 0 recs
That's all well and good
But you alone are not going to be able to make Fedor a star in the US and we all know that quiet and withdrawn do not equal a star in these here United States. For example, we make so-so singers and artists billionaires not based on their actual talent but because we are drawn to their personalities.
I'm the kind of girl who loves to watch a GOOD fight!
--------
Join the DC Area UFC Meetup Group
http://www.meetup.com/DCUFCGroup
by funnytiger on Nov 4, 2009 10:04 AM EST up reply actions 0 recs
Someone neeeds to make a movie about Fedor. It should star Johnny Depp as Fedor.
for all intents and purposes, just consider all my posts as works of satire.
by Bandaka on Nov 4, 2009 11:33 AM EST reply actions 0 recs
Join the community and dive in!
Secondary Sidebar
User Tools
FanPosts
Community blog posts and discussion.
Recommended FanPosts
Recent FanPosts
MMA Rankings
Certain photos copyright © 2009 by Associated Press or Getty Images. Any commercial use or distribution without the express written consent of Associated Press and Getty Images is strictly prohibited.
