As Robert Joyner posted earlier, EA MMA announced today that Fedor Emelianenko will headline EA MMA’s fight roster for their coming video game (set for release Summer 2010).
But, check the curious inclusion made in today’s official press release:
REDWOOD CITY, Calif., – July 29, 2009 – Electronic Arts Inc., (NASDAQ: ERTS) announced today that Fedor Emelianenko, the world’s top ranked* MMA heavyweight, will headline the EA SPORTS™ MMA fighter roster. Emelianenko will be joined by Gegard Mousasi and Renato Sobral, both of whom will be featured in a title bout at the STRIKEFORCE fight on August 15, as the first of a long list of fighters who will appear in EA SPORTS MMA, the all-new mixed martial arts title coming in 2010.
“I have fought all over the world and I am excited to be in EA SPORTS MMA because this game is going to show the global appeal of mixed martial arts,” said Emelianenko. “I know MMA fans have been wanting to play as me and pitting me against any opponent. Now they will have their opportunity.”
Fedor Emelianenko, a 6’0”, 231 pound Russian heavyweight mixed martial arts fighter, who excels in Sambo and Judo, holds a 30-1 record and is the current WAMMA Heavyweight champion. Prior to signing on with STRIKEFORCE, Emelianenko defended his WAMMA championship by knocking out former UFC Heavyweight Champion Andrei Arlovski.
Gegard Mousasi, a former Dream Middleweight champion, has a current record of 25-2-1 and won his last match in Dream 9 against Mark Hunt this past May. The 6’1”, 185 pound Dutch-Armenian fighter will be taking on Renato Sobral to determine STRIKEFORCE’s Light Heavyweight champion and has a fight style that is a unique blend of Dutch kickboxing and judo.
Sobral, hailing from Brazil, is known for his aggressive style, grappling prowess, and high-caliber submissions. He is the current STRIKEFORCE Light Heavyweight champion and has a record of 35-8 with his last victory coming against Rameau Thierry Sokoudjou at Affliction: Day of Reckoning fight earlier this year.
“I am very excited to have Fedor, the number one heavyweight in the world, as one of the top fighters in EA SPORTS MMA,” said Executive Producer Dale Jackson. “He is one of the elite fighters in the sport today and will provide the ultimate competition for our gamers. The EA SPORTS MMA team at Tiburon has been working on the game for over a year already and we will have a lot more great fighters and other exciting news to talk about soon.”
In addition to appearing in the EA SPORTS MMA video game, Mousasi and Sobral will be sponsored by EA SPORTS for the STRIKEFORCE fight.
EA SPORTS MMA will feature the most authentic, intense and broad mixed martial arts experience to date – complete with a vast array of top fighters and fighting styles from around the world. EA SPORTS MMA will be available on the Xbox 360® video game and entertainment system and the PLAYSTATION®3 computer entertainment system.
Payout Opinion:
It’s quite likely that whoever wrote the press release is not familiar with MMA and made a simple mistake in writing that Emelianenko has signed on with Strikeforce – just about everyone else licensed for the game is fighting for Strikeforce.
On a business note, EA MMA will be sponsorsing the up-coming Strikeforce title fight on August 15th between Renato “Babalu” Sobral and Gegard Mousassi.
The UFC may not enjoy having a competing product for its video game, but there are tremendous benefits to competition: it helps to eliminate developmental complacency, thus spurring innovation; intellectual piggy-backing tends to occur which, like a rising tide, helps to float all boats; and, in this case, competition has also brought another blue chip sponsor to the MMA fold – Electronic Arts.
Leave a Reply