Bodog’s Ayre Responds To Finkelstein

Following Evgeni Kogan's recent interview with M-1 promoter and team Red Devil founder Vadim Finkelstein, BodogFight conceiver Calvin Ayre released a statement to Sherdog.com refuting comments made by the man who oversees the career of PRIDE heavyweight champion Fedor Emelianenko (Pictures).

Speaking with Kogan shortly before M-1's July 21 bill, Finkelstein, who co-promoted with BodogFight for April's pay-per-view televised "Clash of the Nations," stated "I thought Bodog behaved very badly in regard to that event. They acted as though the whole organization of the event and everything surrounding it, and [the attendance of Russian President] Vladimir Putin was because of them. In reality my brother [Evgeny Finkelstein] and I organized 90 percent of it."

"The logo for the event was also very unfortunate," he continued. "BodogFight was very prominent and they almost hid a small M-1 logo in the corner in all marketing materials, so that it was almost impossible to see. So I am not particularly pleasantly disposed towards BodogFight at the moment."

Perplexed by the outspoken manager's comments to Sherdog.com, Ayre countered, "As far as we are aware, the event we put on in Russia was our idea and we financed it 100 percent."

"We do not work directly with anyone there and have fulfilled all our commitments to date as we have promised."

"The branding was done according to the deal we had in place. If anyone did not like the deal the time to object was before they agreed to it, not after."

Ayre -- whose mixed martial arts promotion just reached a deal to broadcast content on Russia's Channel One, a state-owned network -- now sees his former business partners as competition in a rapidly-growing market that is deeply rooted in the fight culture.

"I would think that our moving further into the Russian market is most likely the reason for any after-the-fact complaints," Ayre stated. "As far as I was aware, everyone was happy at the time of the event."

The main event of the April 14 card, televised via tape-delay back to the U.S., saw Fedor Emelianenko (Pictures) submit American Matt Lindland (Pictures) in St. Petersburg, a destination Bodog could return to, said Ayre.

"We are going to continue to let our one Russian partner sort out all things in Russia for us as we see the Russian market as a good one," he said. "We see no reason why we would not work with M-1 again in the future if the fit is there."