Fedor shuts down the Ngannou dream — and then takes his shot at Dana White

Fedor Emelianenko is not fighting Francis Ngannou. He never said he was. And while he was clearing that up, the greatest heavyweight of all time took the clearest shot of his retirement at Dana White.

The 50-year-old, retired since his first-round loss to Ryan Bader at Bellator 290 in 2023, spoke to the Russian YouTube channel Ushatayka this week. Two stories came out of it, and Fedor was blunt on both.

First, the Ngannou rumour. It started, Fedor said, with a question from young fans: do you have a dream, who would you like to fight? He answered as a dream, not a negotiation — and the media, in his words, twisted it so people would read it.

"No, no, no, of course, the media twist things so people will read them," Fedor said. "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."

His actual answer: "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. I never said we were in negotiations."

Boxing only. Dream only. No talks, no contract, no comeback in MMA. That part is closed.

Then Fedor turned to White, and to the oldest what-if in heavyweight history: why the greatest heavyweight ever never fought in the UFC. White said on The Pivot Podcast in July that the UFC "offered him so much money" and wanted to book him against Brock Lesnar, but that he and Lorenzo Fertitta were relieved when the deal did not happen.

Fedor's version is the opposite of a missed payday. He said the UFC only ever came for him when he was already tied to another promotion — and never when he was actually free to sign.

"One fight earlier, I'd been a free agent. I was free, and they didn't sign me," Fedor said. "It happened every time. When I'm free they aren't interested, when I'm under contract, the offers start coming."

Around 2009, after stopping Brett Rogers, he was briefly free — and ultimately re-signed with Strikeforce. Fedor believes the timing was the point: "They sign me, Strikeforce sues me, and I can't fight for either side."

Then the verdict, delivered the way Fedor delivers everything — quietly, and without much room for doubt:

"There are different kinds of businessmen. 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."

Asked, in effect, whether White is a legend himself, Fedor was shorter still: "A legend? If someone thinks he's a legend, let them."

White's side of the ledger, for balance: he has said Emelianenko's camp wanted a share of the UFC, and that he is glad the signing never happened because the money on offer would have been detrimental if accepted.

None of this changes the record that made Fedor untouchable in the first place: 28 fights without a loss between 2001 and 2010, beating Mirko Cro Cop, Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira and Mark Coleman in PRIDE. The UFC never got him. Seventeen years on, Fedor is still explaining why — and still not softening a word of it.