8 Times UFC President Dana White Lost His Damn Mind
1. When Trying To Sign Fedor In 2009
Without question, the most accomplished MMA fighter to have never fought in the UFC is Fedor Emelianenko. The Russian heavyweight defeated all comers in PRIDE from 2002-2006 so it seemed logical that when the Zuffa bought the Japanese promotion in 2007 that Fedor would finally fight in the UFC.
For a variety of reasons, depending on who you ask, Fedor would never step foot in the UFC Octagon. The Russians manager at the time was Vadim Finkelstein president of the MMA organisation M-1 Global.
According to White, when he met with Fedor and Vadim in 2009 he offered the Russian the biggest fight available in heavyweight MMA at that time but was rebuffed.
His management made the biggest f*ck-up in the history of all sports. We flew down there and tried to make Brock Lesnar vs. Fedor and it was for big, big money. They f*ckin’ laughed at it and I told them, and he’ll lie if you ask him this, I told him and he knows I f*ckin’ told him — not Fedor, Vadummy — I told Vadummy, ‘You’re one punch away from being worth zero.’ He didn’t take it. They thought they were too cool and too slick and too f*ckin’ funny.