What if we told you Russian gangsters once had their eyes on the UFC? Shocking, right? For a promotion that’s long branded itself as clean-cut, there is a twist – one that dives straight into the dark pages of Dana White’s past—pages that nearly led him to death’s doorstep. And the man at the center of this wild chapter? None other than Fedor Emelianenko—the only legend bold enough to reject the UFC outright. How do we know about this fiasco? Well, Joe Rogan, in his recent escapade with Ilia Topuria, explained how the negotiations nearly got Dana White into danger.

Fedor Emelianenko is known as one of the greatest heavyweights to have ever fought in combat sports. With a record of 40 victories and 7 defeats, ‘The Last Emperor’ ruled Pride, StrikeForce, and Bellator, but he never fought under UFC management. Well, according to sources, Emelianenko never fought in the UFC largely due to failed negotiations between the promotion and his management, M-1 Global. His management team wanted any Fedor fight to be co-promoted with the UFC, which was a big no-no for the promotion, and this is why the negotiations dropped off. Now, what if we tell you this was all a farce?

During his conversation with Ilia Topuria at ‘JRE MMA Show #166,’ Joe Rogan touched upon the topic of ‘The Last Emperor’s inclusion in the UFC, which never happened. In a shocking revelation, the podcaster emphasized that one of the prime reasons why Dana White never included ‘The Last Emperor’ to the UFC roster was the fact that he was affiliated with the Russian Mafia. “Fedor was controlled by some Russian people who were very rough men, gangster-type characters.”

He further added, “They had negotiations with the UFC, but they had unreasonable demands. They wanted part of the promotion, they wanted to own a piece of everything. Negotiations were very intense and very confrontational. They got so bad that Dana White had to increase his security. These were dangerous people.”

Being one of the biggest ‘what-ifs’ in the promotion’s history, Dana White did everything he could to bring the heavyweight to UFC, but it didn’t work. As per the UFC CEO, Emelianenko was even awarded the most lucrative deal in company history at the time, however, he rejected it. If ‘The Last Emperor’ had joined hands with the UFC CEO, we could witness him rising to the top of promotion. The contract included a multi-fight deal, massive pay-per-view points, and a near-guaranteed blockbuster clash with Brock Lesnar that could’ve shattered records.

That’s not all, rumours has it that the UFC might have given the fighter an immediate title shot opportunity. But despite the gold offer, ‘The Last Emperor’ rejected the offer. Dana White missed the chance to bring in ‘The Last Emperor’ to the UFC’s doors, but he surely dodged a bullet. Well, if you think Fedor was a troubled individual, wait till you hear about his brother.

Fedor Emelianenko’s brother’s documentary was too sickening to be released

If you think Fedor Emelianenko was someone massively dangerous within the MMA realm, then you surely haven’t heard of his brother, Alexander Emelianenko. Dubbed as ‘The Grim Reaper,’ Fedor’s younger brother was much more unhinged than him. Award-winning filmmaker Valeria Gai Germanica captured the wild life of Alexander Emelianenko in her documentary.

From addiction, family strife, and explosive legal issues. The result? A film so shocking, it was banned by the Russian government. Alexander’s life was such a menace that even the directors of the documentary were shocked by what the fighter had faced in his early days. But Germanica has a plan: if the trailer hits one million views, the full documentary will be released for free.

Alexander Emelianenko’s rise started from his initial days, where he devastated his opponents in such a manner that people started to call him ‘The Grin Reaper.’  With a career record of 29 victories and 9 defeats, Alexander is still considered one of the best, but his past endeavors have led people to disregard him. What are your thoughts on the revelation? Share your opinion in the comments below.