The signing of Fedor by the UFC has been talked about for years, with the Russian heavyweight coming close to signing with the organization in the summer of 2007. Negotiations failed after Fedor's manager, M-1 Global co-owner and president Vadim Finkelstein, demanded that the UFC co-promote Fedor's fights with his Russian M-1 Global promotion. However, speculation renewed during the UFC 100 post-fight press conference earlier this month, when White said that Fedor would eventually be joining the organization.

White admitted today that they tried everything to sign the Russian heavyweight, and were "willing to give up everything except co-promotion". He noted that they went above and beyond to try and secure Fedor to a UFC contract, and that he would never be offered a deal like this again from anyone.

“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?”

Emelianenko’s camp has demanded that the UFC accept a deal that would allow M-1 Global to co-promote two or three of Fedor's fights with the UFC, a term which is virtually guaranteed to be denied by the UFC.

"We will work only on co-promotion conditions," Finkelchtein stated earlier this week.

A frustrated White stated that he felt that his job was to make Fedor/Lesner a reality since that is what what fans want.

Another point of contention in negotiations between the two in 2007 had been for Fedor to be allowed to compete in combat sambo. However, White noted that it wasn't an issue this time around.

"Fedor can do sambo every Thursday night for all I care," White poignantly admitted.

While it may seem that the chance of seeing Fedor Emelianenko in the UFC is dead in the water once again, Finkelchtein stated that they are still negotiating with the UFC.

"M-1 Global is still interested in continuing to negotiate with the UFC and while we are fielding offers from other major promotions, nothing has been decided," Finkelchtein noted in a press release sent out earlier today. "It is our hope that the UFC will remain in active dialogue with us as we try to find ways for us to work together. All we are asking is that there is give-and-take in the negotiations and that they are not one-sided."