Despite a report by ESPN that former PRIDE Heavyweight champion Fedor Emelianenko will be leaving fight promotion M-1 Global later this week, the president of M-1, Monte Cox, has gone on record with MMAWeekly.com as saying that Fedor is indeed still a part of their organization.

“As of right now, M-1 Global and Fedor are still working together.” While Cox wouldn't comment on the report from ESPN or the fact that it was a member of the M-1 staff (Apy Echteld, Fedors co-manager and development executive for M-1) that first dropped the news of his upcoming release, he did confirm that M-1's first show, June 14th at the Sears Center, has not been canceled and that Emelianenko is still scheduled to fight.

“As of now, Fedor still belongs to M-1 Global.”