It has not yet held an event of its own, but M-1 Global’s major participation in the year-end event held by a coalition spearheaded by former Pride executives served as a pseudo-debut for the fledging promotion. M-1’s chief operating officer, Bob Clark indicated that things went very well.
“We were pleased to be able to support the Yarennoka event. Fedor (Emelianenko) clearly demonstrated why he is the No. 1 ranked fighter in the world,” he said. “We are glad that MMA fans in the U.S. were able to see this great fight live on HDNet.”
M-1’s strategy is to have fights worldwide while working with other MMA organizations, like it did for Yarennoka in Japan. M-1 will have events in 2008 in Russia and the United States (likely in March) and hopes to return to Japan.
“The success of this event demonstrates the synergies that can be created when MMA organizations across the world work together to stage a spectacular event,” stated Clark.
M-1’s imprint on the event was undeniable – first with Emelianenko’s presence on the fight card and with its branding on promotional materials.
Upon signing a contract, Emelianenko indicated that a big part of his reasoning for choosing M-1 was because of the promotion’s global strategy and willingness to allow him to fight for other promotions. Following his victory over Hong Man Choi at Yarennoka, he also voiced his satisfaction and his hopes to continue fighting in Japan in the future.
“I am happy to have fought in Japan once again, as tonight’s fight was for all the fans,” Emelianenko said, addressing the crowd afterward. “If I am able to, I will return to Japan to fight.”
