We've heard it over and over again, whenever the subject of Fedor Emelianenko fighting in the UFC comes up: UFC President Dana White has never even met Fedor. White says it again in the above video, shot at last week's UFC Fan Expo. So here's my question: When will someone finally introduce these two guys?
I've met both Dana and Fedor, so I'd be happy to volunteer to introduce them (as long as I got to write the exclusive story of what their conversation was like), but I don't think I have the pull to get them in the same place at the same time.
I know they've been in the same place at the same time at least once, at Pride Total Elimination 2003 on August 10, 2003, at the Saitama Super Arena. On that day, Fedor beat Gary Goodridge in the opening bout and Chuck Liddell beat Alistair Overeem in the second bout. White was in attendance to represent the UFC and support Liddell, but I guess Fedor and White never crossed paths. To my knowledge, that would be the closest they've come to meeting, and that makes August 10, 2003, a date in which a great opportunity in MMA was missed.
Seriously, this introduction needs to happen. Fedor is the best fighter in MMA, and White is the best promoter in MMA. It makes no sense for Fedor and the UFC to be adversaries, and I really think that if Fedor, White and a translator sat down together some day, they'd find a lot of common ground, for the simple reason that Fedor and the UFC can make more money together than they can apart. Please, someone introduce these two guys.