Fedor Emelianenko still sees himself mentioned among the biggest names in MMA despite long being retired.
The Russian legend recently spoke to Ushatayka to address a number of topics, and touched upon a rumor in which he was allegedly in talks to fight former UFC heavyweight champion Francis Ngannou, as well as recent comments made by UFC CEO Dana White about the promotion’s previous attempts to sign Emelianenko to compete inside the octagon.
“No, no, no, of course, the media twist things so people
will read them,” Emelianenko said, addressing the Ngannou talk (Russian-to-English translation via Red Corner MMA). “I was speaking to young people and someone asked me, ‘Do you have a dream? Who would you like to fight?’ Under any rules, something like that.
“If we’re talking about a real dream, in fighting Francis Ngannou, I couldn’t manage MMA now. I have too many injuries, but I’d have a go at him in boxing. That’s just me thinking out loud. That’s all it is. I never said we were in negotiations.”
The 50-year-old Emelianenko last competed in 2023, when he retired following a first-round knockout loss to Ryan Bader at Bellator 290. That marked the end of one of the most legendary careers in MMA, with Emelianenko universally revered for his time with Japan’s PRIDE promotion, where he saw his greatest success and defeated fellow legends Mirko Cro Cop, Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira, Mark Coleman, and Kevin Randleman, among others.
From 2001 to 2010, Emelianenko went 28 consecutive bouts without a loss.
Emelianenko’s success and mystique made him a constant target for the UFC, though the two sides never came to an agreement. According to Emelianenko, it’s White and company who appeared to be disingenuous in their approach. He pointed to his status in 2009, when he was a free agent after a win over Brett Rogers, that eventually led to him re-signing with Strikeforce.
“Honestly, I didn’t understand,” Emelianenko said. “I didn’t understand the point of his actions. He came over saying, ‘I want you to fight for me.’ He made that very clear, but one fight earlier, I’d been a free agent. I was free and they didn’t sign me. … It happened every time.
“When I’m free, they aren’t interested. When I’m under contract, the offers start coming, but if you’re under contract, you can’t sign another one. There would be legal proceedings. While those were going on, I couldn’t fight in America. I’d be barred from competing. All of that was discussed then. ‘If there were legal proceedings, would you cover all the costs?’ Obviously, I wasn’t going to leave. But at [manager Vadim Finkelstein’s] request, we met him and the lawyers. Honestly, I didn’t understand why. I think they just wanted to shut me down. They sign me, Strikeforce sues me, and I can’t fight for either side. That’s it.”
The experience left Emelianenko with a dim view of White and his business tactics.
“There are different kinds of businessmen,” Emelianenko said. “Some are decent and respectful. Some people don’t even need a contract. A handshake is enough, they keep their word. But now Dana is talking all sorts of nonsense. First he wanted me, then he didn’t. Then he regretted it, then he’s glad he never signed me. The man talks and changes his story. He simply doesn’t stand by his words. His way of doing business doesn’t sit well with me.
“A legend? If someone thinks he’s a legend, let them.”
