Monte Cox talks M-1 and Fedor

[soo2bhuge]

Manager, Promoter, President: Monte Cox's Multiple Roles

October 23, 2007
by Joe Hall ([email protected])

NEW YORK -- Monte Cox was wearing a suit.

At a news conference Monday, the prolific manager sat beside the top-ranked heavyweight in the world, Fedor Emelianenko (Pictures), and a pair of M-1 Global officials who presented their company and explained how they will strive to make it the new international player in MMA.

The conference was M-1 Global's introduction to the world. To longtime MMA followers, nothing stood out more than Cox's glistening red tie.

"If you don't think this is a big deal," he said, "look what I'm wearing."

Since the early years of the sport, Cox has been darting around the world as a manager and as a promoter. He's gone almost everywhere MMA has. But not in a suit.

Ten weeks ago he was working on his next Extreme Challenge event, a regional promotion he started in 1996. Now he is the CEO and president of M-1 Global.

"The last press conference I called, I couldn't get my family to come," he joked. "This is awesome."

Cox, who manages Sean Sherk (Pictures) and Tim Sylvia (Pictures) among others, had been offered jobs with numerous promotions over the years. He never accepted. He was doing just fine managing his roster of nearly 60 fighters and promoting his own shows.

An initial meeting with his current coworkers had gone well -- they had money, means and more -- but Cox wasn't ready to leap on board. Instead he threw down a challenge, which the company now called M-1 Global conquered.

"Get Fedor," Cox had said. "And I'm in."

They got the Russian, and now they have the American.

Fedor, said Cox, is the type of fighter who can carry a company. "If I can't take a star like [Fedor] and help move an organization up, then I'm not doing my job," Cox said. "I really think with my background and experience, and Fedor, I think we can make this happen."

M-1 Global's success will likely depend on whether it can build Fedor into a star in the United States. Cox's role with the company will include a little of everything, from matchmaking to finding locations for events to general advising. He'll have a heavy hand in Fedor's future.

"Our goal is to make him a household name," Cox said, adding that M-1 Global will have a TV deal -- "no doubt about it."

Of course, MMA is a sport made for upsets. Having any single fighter as the face of an entire organization is risky, and selecting opponents can be a careful business.

"Well," Cox said of Fedor's future opposition, "I'm fighting him first."

Cox has discussed potential opponents with Fedor and his manager, Vadim Finkelchtein. The Russians didn't want any walkovers, Cox said, even though weak adversaries are ingredients often used in building a star.

"I may have to save you from yourselves," Cox told them.

Yet he also understood their reasoning. Fedor is widely accepted as the best in the world. Why go backward, fighting bums?

"We're looking for the best opponents that are available," Cox said, before aiming an invisible finger at UFC heavyweight champion Randy Couture (Pictures). "I heard there are a couple [fighters] maybe coming free. I don't know, just a rumor."

Despite the tease, Cox is careful not to compare M-1 Global to the UFC. "I'm not saying we're going to be as big as the UFC," he said. "Everyone that does that ends up looking stupid. … I'm just saying we can put together an entertaining show, a quality show with good fights, and we can making money doing it."

M-1 Global's plan to allow fighters to compete outside the promotion contrasts with the exclusive contracts that the UFC uses with its top athletes. The strategy was a talking point Monday at the news conference, though Cox acknowledged that plenty of companies have blabbed about cross-promotion without doing it.

"If Fedor is our champion, it doesn't mean he can only fight guys in our organization," Cox said. "If Randy Couture (Pictures), for example, were still with the UFC, we would make an offer for Fedor to go to the UFC and fight Randy Couture (Pictures). We're not going to limit where [Fedor] can fight…. I think that's where MMA has to head. It has to go in that direction."

It makes sense for M-1 Global to work with other organizations, especially as a new promotion needing quality talent. But the UFC has the majority of the top fighters, including many that Cox manages, and Dana White won't share. Still it's probably wise for now to step around the MMA giant's toes.

In fact, Cox encountered the UFC president on Saturday at UFC 77. He said that White genuinely congratulated him on his new job, telling Cox that he did not "care that there are other organizations. I just don't want people disrespecting ours."

Cox may see White again at the next UFC and at the one after that. He will likely continue managing fighters in addition to his work with M-1 Global. Although his positions could be considered a conflict of interest, Cox said he has already discussed the matter with multiple athletic commissions.

"It kind of comes down to I can do what I want -- pretty much," he said. "I think I'll leave it up to the fighters. … Anybody that I bring over to M-1 Global has to be managed by somebody else. They'll understand that coming in. The rest of them, I just haven't really decided."

You could argue that Cox's roles will inevitably clash, perhaps to the detriment of his fighters, and therefore he should turn his clients over to another manager even if athletic commission do not force him. At the same time, Cox said, he does not use contracts with his fighters -- they are already free to go.

"This is how it all started 13 years ago, driving around a bunch of crazy fighters in my car," he said. "I have to tell you, it'd be heartbreaking to lose all that. I've had some of these guys since their very first fight."

Cox began as a manager, but he's played many additional parts through the years. Now he has picked up one more, and for it, occasionally, you will even see him in a suit.

[soo2bhuge]

Other highlights:

UFC turned down an offer to match Emelianenko up against Tim Sylvia when both were champions in there respective organizations.
Fedor mentioned that his brother, Aleks, was offered a “low ball” contract to fight inside the Octagon. The goal is to sign him to an M-1 contract as soon as possible.
M-1 has in the past followed PRIDE FC rules and will continue to do so until a more universal set of rules can be established (if possible).
Fedor rejects the “number one pound-for-pound fighter in the world” label because he feels he has yet to fight and defeat all the best fighters in the world.
M-1 executives plan to hold a major event in Tokyo as soon as July.
Similar to PRIDE FC, live events under the M-1 banner will have as much emphasis on the event as the fights themselves.
Fedor, as well as any fighter under contract for M-1, will be allowed to compete for other organizations if the timing and profits make sense.
M-1 has been around for years as an entity in Europe and now as a global company will try and replicate that success in the United States and other countries.
Monte Cox hopes that UFC fighters nearing the end of their contract will consider fighting for M-1 because of Fedor’s presence and the global mentality.
Fedor is humbled by Randy Couture as a fighter but more so as a person. Hopes he can work out his situation with the UFC and would be honored to fight him somewhere down the road.

[Logan13]

Manager, Promoter, President: Monte Cox's Multiple Roles

October 23, 2007
by Joe Hall ([email protected])

NEW YORK -- Monte Cox was wearing a suit.

At a news conference Monday, the prolific manager sat beside the top-ranked heavyweight in the world, Fedor Emelianenko (Pictures), and a pair of M-1 Global officials who presented their company and explained how they will strive to make it the new international player in MMA.

The conference was M-1 Global's introduction to the world. To longtime MMA followers, nothing stood out more than Cox's glistening red tie.

"If you don't think this is a big deal," he said, "look what I'm wearing."

Since the early years of the sport, Cox has been darting around the world as a manager and as a promoter. He's gone almost everywhere MMA has. But not in a suit.

Ten weeks ago he was working on his next Extreme Challenge event, a regional promotion he started in 1996. Now he is the CEO and president of M-1 Global.

"The last press conference I called, I couldn't get my family to come," he joked. "This is awesome."

Cox, who manages Sean Sherk (Pictures) and Tim Sylvia (Pictures) among others, had been offered jobs with numerous promotions over the years. He never accepted. He was doing just fine managing his roster of nearly 60 fighters and promoting his own shows.

An initial meeting with his current coworkers had gone well -- they had money, means and more -- but Cox wasn't ready to leap on board. Instead he threw down a challenge, which the company now called M-1 Global conquered.

"Get Fedor," Cox had said. "And I'm in."

They got the Russian, and now they have the American.

Fedor, said Cox, is the type of fighter who can carry a company. "If I can't take a star like [Fedor] and help move an organization up, then I'm not doing my job," Cox said. "I really think with my background and experience, and Fedor, I think we can make this happen."

M-1 Global's success will likely depend on whether it can build Fedor into a star in the United States. Cox's role with the company will include a little of everything, from matchmaking to finding locations for events to general advising. He'll have a heavy hand in Fedor's future.

"Our goal is to make him a household name," Cox said, adding that M-1 Global will have a TV deal -- "no doubt about it."

Of course, MMA is a sport made for upsets. Having any single fighter as the face of an entire organization is risky, and selecting opponents can be a careful business.

"Well," Cox said of Fedor's future opposition, "I'm fighting him first."

Cox has discussed potential opponents with Fedor and his manager, Vadim Finkelchtein. The Russians didn't want any walkovers, Cox said, even though weak adversaries are ingredients often used in building a star.

"I may have to save you from yourselves," Cox told them.

Yet he also understood their reasoning. Fedor is widely accepted as the best in the world. Why go backward, fighting bums?

"We're looking for the best opponents that are available," Cox said, before aiming an invisible finger at UFC heavyweight champion Randy Couture (Pictures). "I heard there are a couple [fighters] maybe coming free. I don't know, just a rumor."

Despite the tease, Cox is careful not to compare M-1 Global to the UFC. "I'm not saying we're going to be as big as the UFC," he said. "Everyone that does that ends up looking stupid. … I'm just saying we can put together an entertaining show, a quality show with good fights, and we can making money doing it."

M-1 Global's plan to allow fighters to compete outside the promotion contrasts with the exclusive contracts that the UFC uses with its top athletes. The strategy was a talking point Monday at the news conference, though Cox acknowledged that plenty of companies have blabbed about cross-promotion without doing it.

"If Fedor is our champion, it doesn't mean he can only fight guys in our organization," Cox said. "If Randy Couture (Pictures), for example, were still with the UFC, we would make an offer for Fedor to go to the UFC and fight Randy Couture (Pictures). We're not going to limit where [Fedor] can fight…. I think that's where MMA has to head. It has to go in that direction."

It makes sense for M-1 Global to work with other organizations, especially as a new promotion needing quality talent. But the UFC has the majority of the top fighters, including many that Cox manages, and Dana White won't share. Still it's probably wise for now to step around the MMA giant's toes.

In fact, Cox encountered the UFC president on Saturday at UFC 77. He said that White genuinely congratulated him on his new job, telling Cox that he did not "care that there are other organizations. I just don't want people disrespecting ours."

Cox may see White again at the next UFC and at the one after that. He will likely continue managing fighters in addition to his work with M-1 Global. Although his positions could be considered a conflict of interest, Cox said he has already discussed the matter with multiple athletic commissions.

"It kind of comes down to I can do what I want -- pretty much," he said. "I think I'll leave it up to the fighters. … Anybody that I bring over to M-1 Global has to be managed by somebody else. They'll understand that coming in. The rest of them, I just haven't really decided."

You could argue that Cox's roles will inevitably clash, perhaps to the detriment of his fighters, and therefore he should turn his clients over to another manager even if athletic commission do not force him. At the same time, Cox said, he does not use contracts with his fighters -- they are already free to go.

"This is how it all started 13 years ago, driving around a bunch of crazy fighters in my car," he said. "I have to tell you, it'd be heartbreaking to lose all that. I've had some of these guys since their very first fight."

Cox began as a manager, but he's played many additional parts through the years. Now he has picked up one more, and for it, occasionally, you will even see him in a suit.

He has really come a long way.

[sphincter]

I think the Fedor/Cotoure fight will happen. I think they both want it badly enough as fighters but with all this petty bullshit the UFC is pulling (and always ahd) with it's fighters and, most espectially Cotoure... I think Cotour would be more than happy to throw ole' Dana the finger the second his contract is up and go sign with M1 if, for no other reason, to fight a single Fedor fight.. and if it is as epic a fight as it will be billed as.. there will likely be a rematch clause included... and Cotoure will FINALLY get teh money he deserves for his effort and presence in the sport.

[BG]

Couture lol.

[J-Dogg]

Why would anyone call Fedor the "best pound for pound Fighter" when he's a heavy wieght? THat never made much sense to me.

[BgMc31]

Why would anyone call Fedor the "best pound for pound Fighter" when he's a heavy wieght? THat never made much sense to me.

Why can't a hvy wt be the best pound-for-pound fighter? They say that because you can't hold a fair match between the best ltwt fighters and the best hvywt fighters because the heavyweight inherently has the advantage based purely on size and strength. Therefore they can only use each fighters body of work as the determining factor. The best pound-for-pound monicker is given to the best fighter across the board, based on all the creditentials that make a fighter great.

I can't really speak for MMA (I don't know a whole lot about it even though I love to watch it), but in boxing we all know that Vatali Klischko would destroy Floyd Mayweather Jr. if they fought, but based on their overall skill and dominance in each weight class, the consensus is Floyd Mayweather is the 'better' fighter.