Fedor Emelianenko is fight prize in new MMA reality series

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Donald Trump and Affliction Entertainment announced today they will begin filming in April for a reality mixed martial arts series called ‘Fighting Fedor.’

The series, to be filmed in St. Petersburg, Russia, will open with 16 MMA fighters who will compete in a tournament that will ultimately pit the winner against heavyweight Fedor Emelianenko, considered by some as the best pound-for-pound MMA fighter in the world.

Although this series, akin to the Ultimate Fighting Championship’s ‘Ultimate Fighter’ series on SPIKE TV, appears to be headed for a lopsided finale, officials say they will scour the world to find the 16 entrants, and a legitimate match for Fedor. ‘You might have a great fighter in Spain but he needs a door to enter into this world,’ said Joost Raimond of M-1 Global, an Emelianenko backer. ‘We want guys that we are convinced can fight Fedor and win.’

Officials have yet to announce who will televise the series in the U.S., which they say can debut as early as June 2009.

-- Lance Pugmire