UFC caller, Joe Rogan has boldly claimed Russian “gangsters” are behind the reason iconic heavyweight, Fedor Emelianenko, never made good on a long-rumored Octagon move.
Emelianenko, a veteran former heavyweight star in combat sports, retired from MMA back in 2023. Competing majorly during his pomp in Japanese promotion, Pride FC — Emelianenko also made a name in Bellator MMA, Strikeforce, as well as Affliction on two separate occasions.
But notably linked with a pairing against then-heavyweight champion, Brock Lesnar, as well as former gold holder, Randy Couture, the UFC was left wanting.
If you ask UFC boss Dana White, it’s not for the want of trying, however. Fruitlessly campaigning to link up with Emelianenko — particularly during his time with M-1 Global, the Russian remained with the European outfit. According to long-time color commentator, Rogan, however, failed negotiations are just the beginning of the story.
“I got to be careful how I say this,” Rogan said on his podcast. ”
“Fedor (Emelianenko) was controlled by some Russian people that were very rough men as it were, you know. Gangster type characters. And they had a bunch of negotiations with the UFC but they were very unreasonable”, nervously added the UFC commentator.
“Negotiations were… Very, very confrontational. They got bad where Dana (White) had to up his security. It got pretty heavy. Yeah, these are dangerous people. These were dangerous people. It got — I can tell you more off-air“, he noted.
Meanwhile, still remaining tight-lipped on the deal, White admitted he had planned a blockbuster fight for Emelianenko’s debut in the UFC.
White claims Fedor doesn’t like him
Somewhat lamenting his failure to ink the Russian to a deal, White speculates that Emelianenko no longer likes him. After tense and vapid negotiations with his entourage in the 2000s.
“You know I offered him (Fedor Emelianenko) a deal that he must still lie in bed everything and bum out about,” White had said after UFC 267.
“Apparently, Fedor doesn’t like me. So I don’t see it happening [him fighting in the Octagon],” he had added in disappointment.
And while a host of fights in the promotion never came to fruition, a pairing of Emelianenko and Lesnar would’ve been a heavyweight title pairing for the ages, it seems.
Lesnar was already a star in his own right, having become a household name acorss the globe, courtesy of his successful run with Vince McMahon’s WWE.
Upon joining the UFC, he immediately feuded with the likes of Frank Mir and Randy Couture. He would go on to have two blockbuster gorefests against Mir and defeat Couture in his fourth match to win the UFC heavyweight title.
So, a fight with Emelienko, widely considered the greatest heavyweight in mixed martial arts, similar in size and speed to Lesnar, would have truly been a night to remember.
