It’s no secret that the relationship between the UFC and Fedor Emelianenko has never been a particularly smooth one. For years the two sides have tried to negotiate some sort of deal that would see the HW GOAT step foot inside the Octagon. But, whether it came down to co-promotion demands, salary requirements, or just good old fashioned not-liking-one-another negotiations have always found a way to stall out.
For a while, Fedor’s retirement seemed to make the question of his future in the UFC moot. But, his recent return to fighting and subsequent seeming willingness to re-open negotiations are once again spurring talks that Fedor could find his way to the world’s largest MMA promotion. That makes recent comments from Dana White, during an appearance on the “UFC Unflitered with Jim Norton and Matt Serra” podcast especially interesting.
White was pretty unequivocally positive about Fedor’s performance against Fabio Maldonado at EFN 50. Considering it was one of Fedor’s least dominant wins, White’s positivity may be a sign that UFC interest is as strong as ever (transcript via MMAJunkie):
“They were going to let him die before they stopped that fight, you know that?” White said. “But a testament to how tough and durable and mentally strong Fedor is, man. He was out. He was out. Literally, when he got back up … when a guy is on crazy legs the way that he was on crazy legs, and it’s not like he was on crazy legs and able to avoid punches after that. He continued to get hit with bombs by Maldonado and he made it through it.
“But I’ll tell you this: Those refs were willing to let him die before they stopped that fight, No. 1. And No. 2, Fedor’s got a chin and he’s a tough guy.”
White also brought up the Fight Pass viewership for Fedor’s EFN 50 fight saying “I’ll tell you this: Fight Pass did very well with that fight, so people do still want to watch Fedor.” That in and of itself may be a key step in proving to the UFC that a contract with the aging star is still a lucrative move.
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