Dana White: I'm Glad We Didn't Sign Fedor Emelianenko

Over the years, the UFC has rarely missed an opportunity to sign major free agents, but perhaps the most significant fighter who never stepped into the Octagon is former PRIDE heavyweight champion Fedor Emelianenko.

After the UFC acquired the Japanese organization, many of its top athletes transitioned to the American promotion. Emelianenko, however, remained the sole exception, requiring lengthy and complex negotiations. UFC CEO Dana White has repeatedly recounted how he and former owner Lorenzo Fertitta flew to an exotic destination to meet with the Russian and his team, hoping to strike a deal.

Ultimately, Emelianenko rejected the UFC's offer, continuing his career in organizations like Strikeforce and Bellator before retiring. Looking back, however, White admits he quickly got over the disappointment and was actually pleased the agreement never materialized.

"Because we offered him so much money. When you're in the negotiation room, you're just trying to finalize the deal. You're thinking, 'We didn't fly all this way for nothing. Let's get this agreement done.'"

The deal never came to fruition. And while White had wanted to sign Emelianenko and pit him against Brock Lesnar in what would have been one of the biggest fights in UFC history, he has no regrets about how things unfolded.

"At the time, we wanted to set up a fight between him and Brock Lesnar," White said. "But I have no regrets. That's the only fight I can think of right off the bat that we wanted and tried to make happen, but couldn't."

Of course, Lesnar remains one of the biggest stars to ever compete in the UFC, and his popularity isn't diminished by the fact he never faced Emelianenko. As for the legendary Russian, his career concluded with a knockout loss to Ryan Bader in 2023, but he is still considered by many to be the greatest heavyweight fighter of all time. He is undeniably also the most successful MMA fighter who never competed in the UFC.