<TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width=608 border=0><TBODY><TR><TD class=Txt18Yell height=30>White on Fedor: ‘We tried everything’
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<SPAN class=Error id=article_date>Friday, July 31, 2009</SPAN>
<SPAN class=Txt9Gray>by <SPAN id=article_author>Joe Hall</SPAN> (joeh@sherdog.com)

</SPAN> 18850
On the morning of negotiations with M-1 Global and Fedor Emelianenko, Dana White didn’t just wake with a good feeling. The UFC president says he knew he was going to sign the top-ranked heavyweight in the world.

“This is going to happen,” White said he told UFC co-owner Lorenzo Fertitta. “It’s going to happen today. We’re going to make this thing happen.”

Days later, however, Emelianenko is back in Russia and still outside the UFC. White was adamant during a media conference call Friday that the fault belongs to M-1 Global.

“I was f---ing miserable, miserable … because we couldn’t make this deal,” White said. “I was so confident we were going to get this done because we were willing to do it. We were willing to make a deal at almost any cost.”

The “almost” involves co-promoting. White said he won’t do a deal that includes co-promotion, and M-1 Global President Vadim Finkelstein has said he won’t do one that excludes it.

“We built this business, this entire freaking industry,” White said. “How are they going to come in and help us co-promote? It’s basically them coming and saying, ‘We’ve got this guy and some people say he might be the best heavyweight in the world. So for that, we want half your business.’ Yeah, OK. That sh-t probably works in Russia. Not here.”

White added that the Fertittas’ gaming license would hinder co-promoting with M-1.

“People from other countries just don’t walk in and jump in business with the Fertitta brothers,” he said. “There has to be full background checks and all kinds of crazy sh-t. It doesn’t work that way. It’s impossible; it will never happen.”

Other than co-promotion, White said he had relented on previous sticking points such as allowing Emelianenko to compete in sambo tournaments. He characterized himself as “the nicest Dana ever” during negotiations and described his offer to Emelianenko as “amazing.” No figures were discussed, but White guaranteed the Russian would not be offered a better deal.

“He got offered a f---ing assload of money,” White said. “A ton of money, everything he wanted. He can go fight in sambo every f---ing Thursday night if he wants to. He can do everything he wanted to. We showed them nothing but respect.”

White sounded equal parts angry and exasperated Friday. He had said he didn’t want to discuss Emelianenko but then did numerous times over the hour-long call.

“It’s insanity to turn down a deal like this,” White said. “To turn down a deal like this, you don’t care about proving you’re the best in the world. You don’t want to fight the best in the world. You don’t care about money. How do you deal with something like that?”

Several times White reiterated that the door to a deal was still open, then he kind of closed it by saying he was over the deal and didn’t want to discuss Emelianenko anymore, then he opened it again by saying M-1 could call him right then and they could reach an agreement if they’d budge on co-promoting.

By the call’s end White was back to questioning Emelianenko’s status as the best in the world and wondering why the media cares so much about a heavyweight who will not challenge himself in the sport’s top promotion.

In that way, the UFC wagons have circled. Might as well. M-1’s are going round and round, too, and against everything Dana White was certain of when he woke one morning this week, Fedor Emelianenko is still not in the UFC.
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http://www.sherdog.com/news/articles...erything-18850

Fedors people have a tight grasp on this guy. What a bummer, nice article though, White is a funny sob

Does Fedor have a contract that expires with M-1 at any point where he would be somewhat of a "free agent"? If so then could we expect Fedor to immediatey sign in UCF after that?

Ive seen a couple vids of Fedor and man that guy is scary.

If white were shot dead, I don't think id even pass a thought in my mind. I am not talking about the business end, just his personailty could be the worst on the planet and the way he says shit makes me want to punch him in his ovaries

 

Originally Posted by darkpoker12

If darkpoker were shot dead, I don't think id even pass a thought in my mind. I am not talking about the comicon end, just his wgt skills could be the worst on the planet and the way he says shit makes me want to punch him in his ovaries

 

Originally Posted by XquiziVex

Its sort of like Kobe Bryant's manager telling the NBA Organization to kiss his ass if they dont let him get 50% of the share of the league's revenue. And Kobe can't do anything other than follow through on the manager's threats b/c the manager will actually 'dispose' of kobe, his family, so on and so forth.

sigh i rly wanted to see this fight...

 

Originally Posted by XquiziVex

Dana White is doing exactly what he needs to do to preserve the brand that he and his backers pretty much revived from the brink of collapse.

If the UFC were a public company, I would buy shit loads of stock simply because of Dana's shrewd and profitable management style.

I think he makes great business decisions, but the way he comes across makes me despise him. I am no hater on the mighty dollar or profit, but does he really have to act like he is > jesus. You seen the youtube vids he puts up of himself? It's like he is the ufc

Saw this question on another site and it is for Finkelstein (Fedor's mgr./M-1 boss):

How is being Fedor's manager, and M-1's honcho NOT a conflict of interest?

Interesting to see if he would answer because, if Dana DID offer a boatload of cash, everything Fedor wanted (except co-promotion, and why would Fedor care about that?), how is it NOT in the Russian'best interest to sign the deal?

It may not be in M-1's best interest, but that is another matter . . .

at a glanse knowing nothing more than wat i just read this looks like m-1s best and only hope at becoming noticed by the rest of the world(america)
they will hold out and on to there prized possesion till his contract runs out and boom gg liddel hello fedor as whites main squeeze