Dana
White told the story behind UFC's failed negotiations with Fedor
Emelianenko. | 📷: Bellator MMA

Dana
White doesn't regret Fedor
Emelianenko’s failed move to the
Ultimate Fighting Championship.

Emelianenko is considered one of the greatest fighters of all time
who never fought in the UFC. White recently revealed that he wanted
to make a fight between the Russian and Brock
Lesnar. However, they failed to sign Emelianenko despite
offering him a lot of money.

Dana White discusses the failed UFC negotiations with
heavyweight legend Fedor Emelianenko

White claims that the offer was so massive that he and Lorenzo
Fertitta were relieved that Emelianenko turned them down. The UFC
head honcho doesn't regret the failed negotiations.

“We never got a deal done with Fedor,†White said on “The Pivot”
podcast.

“When me and Lorenzo got on the plane and left wherever we were, we
looked at each other and said, ‘Thank God they said no,' because we
offered him so much money. You get in that room and you just try to
get that deal done… We wanted to do him vs. Brock Lesnar at the
time. I don't regret it.â€

When the UFC acquired
Pride in 2007, Emelianenko was the one megastar that didn't
sign with the promotion. While “The Last Emperor” fought in
Strikeforce,
he moved on when the UFC bought the promotion in 2011. Emelianenko
finished the last stretch of his career in Bellator,
hanging up his gloves following a knockout loss to Ryan Bader in
2023.

Demian Maia detailed Ian Garry's adaptability before UFC 330. |
📷: Marcelo Alonso/Sherdog

Demian
Maia believes Ian Garry is
equipped to upset Islam
Makhachev.

Garry (17-1) is scheduled to challenge Makhachev (28-1) for the

Ultimate Fighting Championship welterweight title in the main
event of UFC
330 on Aug. 15 at Xfinity Mobile Arena in Philadelphia. Maia
recently discussed Garry's preparation and dissected the
matchup.

Ian Garry prepares for Islam Makhachev with help from Demian
Maia ahead of UFC 330

Maia has been a crucial part of Garry's fight camps since they
first met at a seminar in Barcelona in 2023 and the jiu-jitsu
legend recently revealed that he helped Garry in Spain before the
Irishman went back to England to finish the final phase of his camp
for UFC 330.

“Our partnership started in 2023,†Maia told Sherdog's Marcelo
Alonso. “I went to teach a seminar at a friend’s academy in
Barcelona, and Ian and his wife reached out to me. He came to train
with me, and ever since then he’s been coming to Brazil regularly.
Last week I traveled to Spain to teach another seminar, and we
spent several days together doing an intensive camp focused on what
we believe he needs to do in the grappling exchanges against Islam.
He finished the final stage of his camp in England with his
jiu-jitsu coach, John
Hathaway, who also fought in the UFC in our weight class.â€

Makhachev is the No. 1 pound-for-pound UFC fighter and a -300
favorite going into his clash against Garry. However, many believe
Garry's frame and defensive savviness will pose a threat to
Makhachev's dominant run. Notably, Maia doesn't think Garry's
distance management is his biggest strength.

Ian Garry's fight IQ highlighted ahead of UFC 330 title fight
with Islam Makhachev

According to Maia, Garry's fight IQ separates him from other
fighters. The Brazilian claims to have taught the Irish
welterweight a takedown variation during the fight week of his win
against Carlos
Prates last year, which “The Future” executed 10 times in the
bout.

“Some people say he’s the toughest matchup for Islam because he has
excellent takedown defense, longer reach, outstanding cardio, and
he’s a complete fighter, but I think his biggest strength is his
fight IQ,†Maia added. “Garry reads his opponents extremely well
and knows how to adapt. When he fought Carlos Prates, I showed him
a variation of a takedown during fight week, and he executed it
perfectly about 10 times during the fight. He’s someone who learns
very quickly and knows how to make life difficult for his
opponents.â€

Despite his confidence in Garry's skillset, Maia isn't
underestimating the challenge that Makhachev poses. He believes the
Dagestani welterweight champion could stand his own against elite
opponents in no-gi jiu jitsu.

“I expect a very tough fight. Islam is one of the greatest fighters
of all time. His jiu-jitsu is of an extremely high level. I’d even
say he could compete successfully in elite no-gi Brazilian
jiu-jitsu tournaments. So, it’s going to be a historical title
dispute.â€

Maia also confirmed that he will be in Garry’s corner on fight
night alongside Diego Lima, John Hathaway and Paulo Mauricio
Strauch.

Conor McGregor is going to be out of action for almost a year. But when he comes back, Logan Paul wants a piece of him.

The UFC CEO reflected on the organization’s response when the
sporting world came to a standstill in the spring of 2020. While
many organizations were forced to suspend operations, White said
the UFC’s priority was finding a way to continue staging events
despite widespread shutdowns and travel restrictions.

The UFC CEO recalls creating Fight Island after pandemic
shutdowns threatened events

During his recent appearance on “The Pivot” podcast, White said
that the promotion had three priorities as they entered the
pandemic. They wanted to keep every employee on payroll, fulfill
their contractual obligations to fighters and continue delivering
events for their broadcast partner, ESPN.

“I talked to the governor and told him I could put on fights,â€
White recalled, reflecting on the obstacles they faced. “I just
needed production guys. We could social distance, wear masks, do
all the things they required. And he told me I couldn't do it.â€

White said the UFC then began exploring alternatives.

“I was like, ‘Well, you know what? I'll go to a deserted island
somewhere, set up an Octagon, and do it,'†White said. “That's how
Fight Island was created, and our sport grew 77% during COVID.â€

The UFC ultimately established its Fight Island bubble on Yas
Island in Abu Dhabi, allowing the promotion to continue holding
international events while much of the sports world remained
dormant. This kept the UFC afloat and even led to a surge in
popularity.

By April 2021, the UFC was once again welcoming fans to events in
the United States, and three months later returned to T-Mobile
Arena in Las Vegas for
UFC 264, headlined by a trilogy bout between Dustin
Poirier and Conor
McGregor. Looking back, White said the challenges of the
pandemic reinforced the culture he has tried to build within the
organization.

“That's why when it's time to run into the fire, my team runs with
me,†he added. “You find out who everybody is when hard times
hit.â€

Tom Aspinall was in serious pain after multiple eye surgeries — which are worse than any surgery he's ever had.

Longtime referee Herb Dean has been under fire since officiating Alex Pereira's loss at UFC Freedom 250, but he's got some support.

Dean was on officiating duties when Pereira faced Ciryl Gane for the interim UFC Heavyweight Championship back in June. “Poatan†suffered a second-round TKO loss, but he has since complained about illegal strikes to the back of the head. Pereira has gone full tilt in his criticism of Dean, even calling for his job.

Amid the harsh critiques, CSAC executive director Andy Foster told MMAFighting.com that he doesn't think Dean made an egregious mistake during Pereira's defeat to “Bon Gamin.â€

“The thing with Gane and Pereira, I was there. I was watching that in real time,†Foster said. “That didn't look anything different … that looked like a normal fight to me. That looked like a normal fight. I think what started that series was the punch that put [Pereira] on the ground. I know that's what started that series. He's obviously trying to finish him. [Pereira] is trying to get back in the fight.

“There was no doubt a few of them got through and hit [the back of the head]. The question is what do you do in that situation? Do you stop the action? Because I don't think many referees would have, if any, certainly at the high level. What do you do with that situation? Tell me that's not something that you've seen before. I think what started that series was the knockdown. That was the case.â€

Dean has also faced criticism as of late for bouts outside of UFC Freedom 250. Fans took the veteran referee to task after he failed to deduct a point from Sharaputdin Magomedov in his foul-marred UFC Baku bout with Michel Pereira. “Shara Bullet†grabbed Pereira's hair and delivered a low blow, but he only received a warning.

While the likes of Pereira, Tom Aspinall, and Brendan Schaub have expressed issues with Dean, others such as “Big†John McCarthy have cut him some slack.

Do you agree with Andy Foster, or is Herb Dean being protected by CSAC and other athletic commissions? Drop your take in the comments below.

After starring in commercials and publicly representing the
company, the former
Ultimate Fighting Championship interim lightweight titleholder
revealed that Bud Light cut ties with him after his arrest at
Hartsfield–Jackson Atlanta International Airport. Poirier believes
it was for the better and that he didn't need the “poison†in his
life, having committed to sobriety long-term.

The former UFC interim lightweight champion details the
financial fallout from his arrest and commitment to quitting
alcohol

Poirier recently opened up about Bud Light, the alcoholic beverage
company he previously represented as a brand ambassador, cutting
ties with him following his arrest. The American got into an
altercation with a police officer, who he threatened to fight and
hurled a racial slur at, and was subsequently released on bail.

“They terminated my contract immediately,†Poirier told Ariel
Helwani. “It's all good. I don't need that f*cking poison in my
life. It sucks that my family loses out on the money I had left on
the deal with them, which is a few hundred thousand dollars. But
also, if I'm representing something, if I'm advertising something
that I'm not going to be taking part in, promoting stuff — it's
just, it is what it is.â€

Since the arrest, Poirier has looked to make amends, revealing his
desire to reach out to the police officer involved in his arrest.
Furthermore, he has given up drinking altogether.

“There are plenty of people out there who do drink responsibly. I'm
not one,†he added. “So, if you can drink responsibly, have fun,
drink a Bud Light, drink whatever the hell you want. Be
responsible, have a good time. I'm not that person.â€

Belal Muhammad was far from stunned when Dricus du Plessis defeated Kamaru Usman.

The UFC OKC main event featured a middleweight clash between “Stillknocks†and “The Nigerian Nightmare.†It was a dominant start for du Plessis, who had Usman staggering momentarily. The former UFC welterweight titleholder did have moments of success in the bout, but he never made enough of a dent to give du Plessis problems.

Ultimately, du Plessis scored a unanimous decision win in his first bout since losing the middleweight title. In an interview with MMAJunkie, Muhammad said he expected du Plessis to get the better of Usman.

“I wasn't really surprised,†Muhammad said. “I picked Du Plessis to win. I thought his awkward style was going to be a little too much, but I thought Usman would be able to get a couple of takedowns. I figured it would go back and forth a little bit with the wrestling and grappling. I wanted to see if Du Plessis got better with it, but also I think Usman taking all that time off, right? What has it been, like one fight in three years? Then you come out and fight an awkward guy like (Du Plessis). It's hard to get timing, hard to get yourself acclimated to it. I thought that was a little bit too much for him. You could just tell he wasn't comfortable and couldn't see a lot of the stuff that Du Plessis was throwing at him. …â€

When asked about possibly settling his grudge with Usman down the line, “Remember The Name†didn't commit to the bout. Muhammad's issue has to do with the time Usman spends away from the Octagon after each fight. Muhammad, who is trying to break out of a three-fight skid, said he needs to face opponents who are more active.

Muhammad also admitted he was puzzled by Usman's post-fight reaction when the score totals were announced at UFC OKC. Usman was upset with the 50-45 score, but Muhammad thought the result was quite clear.

Can Kamaru Usman bounce back from his defeat to DDP, and who should his next opponent be? Share your opinion in the comments below.

The Brazilian contender, who is set to collide with Thomas
Petersen at
UFC Abu Dhabi on July 25, dismissed both rising heavyweights in
a recent interview, asserting that neither fighter has done enough
in their careers to convince him that they are serious threats.

Valter Walker says Josh Hokit fight could headline a UFC
card

Walker, who has won four of his past five fights, told MMA Fighting he would gladly take on either
Hokit or Steveson next after his upcoming fight.

“I don't think he's a tough fight for me,†Walker said when asked
about Hokit. “Honestly, I don't think he's the fighter people are
making him out to be. Come on, he's small. I'm not intimidated by
that guy at all. Gable Steveson, Josh Hokit. People say, ‘He's a
monster, an Olympic wrestling champion.' Man, I watched Gable's
debut, and I wasn't that impressed. I didn't get all the hype.â€

Walker then further asserted his willingness to fight either
American heavyweight.

“I'm not scared of Josh Hokit or Gable Steveson one bit,†he added.
“If that's the next fight, bring it on. It can be Gable Steveson,
Josh Hokit, Vitor Petrino. I'll take all of them. If I win this
Saturday, book me against any of those guys next.â€

“The Foot Hunter” claims that a potential fight with Hokit would
generate significant interest.

“We're talking co-main event or even main event, because of all the
trash we'd talk to each other.â€

Walker questions the UFC’s rising heavyweight prospects before
UFC Abu Dhabi

Walker also believes that fighting Steveson would be a great
opportunity, given his wrestling background and ties to former UFC
two-division champion Jon Jones.

“Can you imagine?†Walker said. “I beat him, climb on the cage, and
spit in Jon Jones' face. Damn! People holding Jon Jones back while
I'm screaming that I'm the GOAT and telling Jon Jones to go f*ck
himself. All the hype would come my way. It's an opportunity.â€

Steveson enjoyed a successful UFC debut at
UFC 329, finishing Elisha
Ellison in the first round, while Hokit extended his perfect
record by beating Derrick
Lewis at
UFC Freedom 250. Walker poses a threat to both Americans, given
his grappling prowess, having submitted his last four opponents.

Logan Paul wants to pursue a Conor McGregor match. | 📷: Amanda
Westcott/Showtime

Logan
Paul believes
Ultimate Fighting Championship star Conor
McGregor’s recent injury could pave the way for a clash between
the two, as he now considers the Irishman “incapable of
fighting.â€

McGregor returned to action following a five-year hiatus at

UFC 329, headlining opposite former featherweight champion
Max
Holloway. However, their rematch only lasted 69 seconds after
McGregor suffered a knee injury throwing his first kick.

With McGregor far removed from his fighting prime, Paul wants to
take him on.

Logan Paul wants WWE to capitalize on Conor McGregor’s fighting
future

During a recent episode of the “Impaulsive” podcast, Paul discussed
the irony of McGregor's slump after the Irish superstar previously
took shots at professional wrestling and its biggest stars.

“Something I find so funny, he definitely has roasted the WWE and WWE superstars in
the past,†Paul said. “He put out a tweet dissing Roman Reigns;
the Roman Reigns tweet was recently. At the moment, Conor is doing
WWE. He is incapable of fighting.â€

Paul then claimed that he immediately contacted WWE management
after McGregor's defeat, pitching the idea of a future clash
between the two high-profile personalities.

“I don't think WWE will let me fight anyone,†Paul added. “I'll be
honest, I texted my boss after Conor lost. I was like, ‘Bro, Conor
is cooked, do something with it. Make a bag, let me fight him. Big
WWE star versus big WWE star, cause that's what he is now.' He said
that he thinks he's done.â€

McGregor has one fight remaining on his current UFC contract and
has reiterated that he intends to return following knee surgery to
fight out his contract.