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Joe Rogan says UFC canceled GOAT deal after Dana White faced security threats

Originally posted on MMA on SI | By Mathew Riddle | Last updated Apr 17, 2025 7:56 AM ET

UFC was forced to give up on an all-time-great fighter after dangerous negotiations, claims commentator-podcaster Joe Rogan.

These days, the premier organization in mixed martial arts isn't known for signing top talent, but in the UFC's golden era, they were absorbing promotions left and right. One of the biggest what-ifs that never came to being in the UFC was legendary Russian fighter, Fedor Emelianenko.

Emelianenko is regarded as one of the greatest fighters of all time, perhaps the greatest heavyweight in MMA history. 'The Last Emperor' defeated the who's who of heavyweight MMA from 2000 to 2009, remaining undefeated - bar a cut TKO - in his first 30 contests.

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Joe Rogan details 'unreasonable' negotiations between Dana White and Fedor Emelianenko's team

Despite his accolades, Emelianenko never fought in the UFC, which Rogan claims is due to 'confrontational' negotiations between his management and the UFC.

"Fedor was controlled by some Russian people that were very rough men --- gangster-type characters," Rogan explained on his podcast. "They had a bunch of negotiations with the UFC but they were very unreasonable demands.

"... They wanted to own a piece of everything. . . . Negotiations were very intense and very confrontational; they got bad. Dana [White] had to up his security. . . . These were dangerous people. . . . It got crazy."

In his twilight years, Emelianenko fought for Bellator, picking up a 4-3 record. He also fought for Strikeforce, which was later absorbed by the UFC.

This is the closest fans will ever see Emelianenko fighting UFC-level competition; he went 1-3 in the promotion but was still on the tail end of a lengthy career.

This article first appeared on MMA on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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