Dana
White told the story behind UFC’s failed negotiations with Fedor
Emelianenko. | 📷: Bellator MMA
Dana
White doesn’t regret Fedor
Emelianenko’s failed move to the
Ultimate Fighting Championship.
Emelianenko is considered one of the greatest fighters of all time
who never fought in the UFC. White recently revealed that he wanted
to make a fight between the Russian and Brock
Lesnar. However, they failed to sign Emelianenko despite
offering him a lot of money.
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Dana White discusses the failed UFC negotiations with
heavyweight legend Fedor Emelianenko
White claims that the offer was so massive that he and Lorenzo
Fertitta were relieved that Emelianenko turned them down. The UFC
head honcho doesn’t regret the failed negotiations.
“We never got a deal done with Fedor,” White said on „The Pivot“
podcast.
“When me and Lorenzo got on the plane and left wherever we were, we
looked at each other and said, ‘Thank God they said no,’ because we
offered him so much money. You get in that room and you just try to
get that deal done… We wanted to do him vs. Brock Lesnar at the
time. I don’t regret it.”
When the UFC acquired
Pride in 2007, Emelianenko was the one megastar that didn’t
sign with the promotion. While „The Last Emperor“ fought in
Strikeforce,
he moved on when the UFC bought the promotion in 2011. Emelianenko
finished the last stretch of his career in Bellator,
hanging up his gloves following a knockout loss to Ryan Bader in
2023.