Fedor:I just felt like 'this guy, he just hates us

Speaking through a translator, former PRIDE heavyweight champion Fedor Emelianenko revealed to WHOA! TV this weekend as to one of the reasons we never saw him grace the Octagon. Although UFC president Dana White once called his mission to sign the MMA legend an 'obsession,' Emelianenko now claims he's precisely the reason it never happened.

"In my opinion, everything was in Dana White's hands,' says Emelianenko. "Because at that moment, I just felt like 'this guy, he just hates us.' Like, personally to [me]. There were insults coming from Dana White all the time. There were many very loud things said, but for real nothing happened. It was [all talk]."

As insults go, White slammed Emelianenko in 2009 saying the Russian refused to face top competition and that having him ranked among MMA's pound-for-pound best was 'f***ing insanity.' Emelianenko's manager, Vadim Finkelstein, was also a frequent target of White's, whom he unceremoniously dubbed, 'Vadummy.' Although White years later hinted at plans to lure both former UFC heavyweight champion Brock Lesnar and Emelianenko out of retirement to finally meet, it never came to be.

http://www.mmafighting.com/2013/10/14/4835354/morning-report-fedor-emelianenko-ufc-dana-white-brock-lesnar-pride-mma-news

I don't know the whole story between these two but they both missed out on a boatload of cash due to their differences. Phone Post

always wanted too see Fedor in the UFC

I love Fedor, but his manager is the one who fucked him over, not Dana. If his manager wasn't so insistent on the co promotion bullshit, Fedor would've been UFC HW Champ. Phone Post 3.0

JStrongMMA - 

I don't know the whole story between these two but they both missed out on a boatload of cash due to their differences. Phone Post


Agreed.

I can't help but feel cheated, as a fan,to have never witnessed the legend that is Fedor, fight in the UFC. It just seems wrong; helluva career though.

MexiCain AmeriCain - I love Fedor, but his manager is the one who fucked him over, not Dana. If his manager wasn't so insistent on the co promotion bullshit, Fedor would've been UFC HW Champ. Phone Post 3.0

If the UFC hadn't have offered him such a dogshit contract in '07 he probably would've joined them too right then and there. Both sides were to blame for Fedor never fighting in the UFC.

DatSpider -
JStrongMMA -  I don't know the whole story between these two but they both missed out on a boatload of cash due to their differences. Phone Post

Agreed.

I can't help but feel cheated, as a fan,to have never witnessed the legend that is Fedor, fight in the UFC. It just seems wrong; helluva career though.

Yea..it really sucks it never happened.

For all the pro wrestling fans on here, it is a similar feeling to Sting never signing with WWE. Phone Post

"There were insults coming from Dana White all the time. There were many very loud things said, but for real nothing happened. It was [all talk]."

lol, story of Dana's life.  He's always been a blowhard beta male.  His UFC career has been dedicated to perpetuating the myth that he's he's a tough guy, but deep down he knows who he really is.  He'll never change that.

It is also the reason why Lorenzo had to relieve him of all business decision-making.  Lorenzo still lets Dana micro-manage things like the fighters' walkout music and the ring girls' wardrobes, but beyond that, he's pretty much on lockdown.  Dana's pathological insecurites makes him unqualified to negotiate, because he takes everything personally .  That doesn't work in business.

Besides, Fedor doesn't need to have fought in the UFC.  His legacy was made in Pride, when Pride had the best HWs on the planet. 

 

What did dans offer him? 7000/7000? Phone Post 3.0

tetris - What did dans offer him? 7000/7000? Phone Post 3.0

Na 10/10, but just think of the sponsors, he could be making tens of dollars on his walkout short alone. Phone Post

Garv - 


"There were insults coming from Dana White all the time. There were many very loud things said, but for real nothing happened. It was [all talk]."



lol, story of Dana's life.  He's always been a blowhard beta male.  His UFC career has been dedicated to perpetuating the myth that he's he's a tough guy, but deep down he knows who he really is.  He'll never change that.



It is also the reason why Lorenzo had to relieve him of all business decision-making.  Lorenzo still lets Dana micro-manage things like the fighters' walkout music and the ring girls' wardrobes, but beyond that, he's pretty much on lockdown.  Dana's pathological insecurites makes him unqualified to negotiate, because he takes everything personally .  That doesn't work in business.



Besides, Fedor doesn't need to have fought in the UFC.  His legacy was made in Pride, when Pride had the best HWs on the planet. 



 


How do you really feel about Dana, though ?

KOdClowning -
tetris - What did dans offer him? 7000/7000? Phone Post 3.0

I know you are making fun of the UFC pay, but hear it out. Maybe Fedor starts at 7 and 7 , but he was coming off of 3 losses. Usually the UFC doesn't sign fighters off of 3 losses. Not only that, but he would have gotten sponsors as well. I also find it hard to believe he couldn't command more than 7 and 7 either.

Further more, Fedor would have to prove he can still fight and he would be able to work his way up. He can win a sub or KO bonus as well.
Hah good job Phone Post 3.0

KOdClowning -
tetris - What did dans offer him? 7000/7000? Phone Post 3.0

I know you are making fun of the UFC pay, but hear it out. Maybe Fedor starts at 7 and 7 , but he was coming off of 3 losses. Usually the UFC doesn't sign fighters off of 3 losses. Not only that, but he would have gotten sponsors as well. I also find it hard to believe he couldn't command more than 7 and 7 either.

Further more, Fedor would have to prove he can still fight and he would be able to work his way up. He can win a sub or KO bonus as well.
Really? How much did they pay lesnar? Did he have to prove he could fight coming un with 2 fights under his belt? I guess fedor didn't prove himself by having 30some odd wins against some of the best. Phone Post 3.0

Vadummy will be immortalized as the single most retarded figure in MMA Sports management history. Ive only seen old figures, but the amount of $ Fedor left on the table was mind-boggling. (Would have made him the single highest paid MMA fighter on the planet at that time.) Ya snooze, ya lose.

I blame Vadim. There was no way Zuffa was going to Co-Promote.

If you want to know why Fedor didn't sign, despite being offered the biggest MMA contract ever, just look at his SF record. UFC Hw's had already gotten too big, too strong, too athletic.

Smart thing would have been for him to sign at LHW where he belonged, maybe he could have been holding JJ's belt right now? I would have liked to have seen that fight.

P.S. he is still young enough to be competing. Many MMA fighters have fought more often, for more years, at a higher level. You don't hit your peak strength until 30. But, people like to pretend that Fedor was already a worn out old man when he was in his 20s.

stonepony - If you want to know why Fedor didn't sign, despite being offered the biggest MMA contract ever, just look at his SF record. UFC Hw's had already gotten too big, too strong, too athletic.

Smart thing would have been for him to sign at LHW where he belonged, maybe he could have been holding JJ's belt right now? I would have liked to have seen that fight.

is bigfoot that much bigger than big nog? no.
was brett rogers bigger or more athletic than semmy shilt? no.
dan henderson is a bigger more athletic heavyweight? um no.

fedor lost just like he knew he eventually would. this was after a most remarkalbe and exciting career. he won time and time again when we all truly believed he would finally lose.

Yeah, he was fun to watch. He ducked the UFC competition though, sorry. Didn't face the best SF competition either.

People just can't cope with the slightest criticism of the guy. It's like a cult.