The unexpected news rippled through the news channels yesterday with Sherdog at the epicenter of the reports: Strikeforce light-heavyweight champion Gegard Mousasi has decided to cease his business relationship with the Russian-based promotional machine, M-1 Global.

After careful consideration, I have decided that it is in my best interest to part ways with M-1 Global.

Mousasi's fight career was being managed by Apy Echteld (employed by M-1 Global), and the Armenian fighter has also stated that "someone close" to him will now be handling that task instead of Echteld.  A column by MMAJunkie divulges an offer of "lifetime security" for Mousasi that was vetoed by an unnamed M-1 executive, which may have propagated Mousasi's departure.

Although the circumstance is far from expected, it shouldn't be received as a surprise considering the checkered reputation that has mysteriously surrounded M-1 Global and majority-owner Vadim Finkelstein.  The outspoken Dana White coined the now-popular term "crazy Russians" to describe his unsuccessful negotiations with M-1 while trying to strike a deal for Fedor to compete in the UFC; and if White is too biased towards his own agenda to appeal to your reason, even Alistair Overeem's manager, Bas Boon, laid out the venomous charge that M-1 Global were a "bunch of crooks" and "robbers"after Strikeforce announced the acquisition of Fedor Emelianenko and their co-promotional partnership with M-1.

Mr. Echteld was also at the source of some industry drama not long ago after Mousasi hinted at some skewed numbers and a lack of communicationregarding an offer the UFC had made to him, a tact that may have been intentional on behalf of Echteld in order to steer Mousasi towards the Strikeforce contract he eventually ended up signing.  Of course, the high-profile agreement between Fedor, M-1 Global, and Strikeforce was only made more powerful and legitimized further with Mousasi included in the package deal.

And what of Fedor Emelianenko, the second half of the Red Devil Duo who became more strongly associated with Mousasi after little brother Aleks wandered away from the Red Devil team, and later issued comments citing M-1 Global as the faulty connectionin the Fedor/UFC negotiations?  He loses another friend and training partner, and now stands alone as the sole marketing magnet for M-1 Global, a company to which he's intrinsically bonded as a part-owner.

I guess this means no more "Mousasi versus Fedor" grappling exhibitionsto liven up a dull fight card, and no more playful shenanigans like we saw when Fedor slipped a piece of ice down Mousasi's pants.  Am I the only one who is overcome by emotion while projecting the faint rapture of Peter Gabriel's "In Your Eyes" when watching this video?