Everyone has regrets, including Joe Rogan.
As a prominent podcaster and a long-time commentator for the UFC since 2002, Joe Rogan has witnessed a lot in MMA. Among all the moments, fights won and fights missed, his biggest regret is that Fedor Emelianenko never competed in the UFC during his prime years.
“My biggest regret in MMA is that we never saw Fedor fight in the UFC when he was at his best,” Rogan admitted to Ilia Topuria on his podcast. “If I could have one thing, just one fight with both fighters in their prime, it would be Fedor against Cain Velasquez. That would have been incredible.”
Fedor Emelianenko, often considered the greatest fighter to have never entered the UFC, was once ranked as the top pound-for-pound fighter in MMA while he was champion in Pride FC. When the UFC acquired Pride in 2007, many fighters from Pride joined the UFC, but Emelianenko was not among them. He chose to compete in other promotions instead. However, Rogan clarifies that the UFC did try to sign him.
“They did try,” Rogan stated when asked about why the UFC didn’t sign Fedor. “I need to be careful how I phrase this, but Fedor was managed by some Russian individuals who were very tough, let’s say, ‘gangster-type’ figures. They had several negotiations with the UFC, but their demands were very unreasonable. They wanted a share of the promotion, a piece of everything, because they knew Fedor was their ‘golden ticket’ and they wanted to maximize it. The negotiations were intense and confrontational. They got so bad that Dana White had to increase his security. It became quite serious. These were dangerous people. … It was crazy.”
Emelianenko fought for several promotions, including Strikeforce and Affliction, before finishing his career with Bellator in 2023. Cain Velasquez, on the other hand, had his prime years between 2009 and 2013, which overlapped with the beginning of Emelianenko`s decline. Rogan wishes they could have fought during that brief period of overlap.
“That guy had unbelievable cardio,” Rogan said about Velasquez. “For a heavyweight? It was unreal. You’d see opponents just break down. Pure boxing skills, excellent wrestling, incredible resilience, and an unbreakable will. He was too tough for his own good, which eventually led to his body wearing down by the end of his career. He suffered numerous injuries – neck, back, shoulder, knee injuries…”
“Fedor in his prime against Cain Velasquez in his prime. That’s my biggest regret. A fight we never got to witness.”
