UFC president Dana White has been especially coy in recent interviews when asked to address a potential signing of top heavyweight fighter Fedor Emelianenko.
White's patented answer is recent weeks has been framed with a wry smile and usually consists of a, "I've talked to his people more recently than you would think," followed with a gaze that suggests he knows far more than he's willing to let on.
But Emelianenko's M-1 Global reps remain steadfast in their denial of any contact with White and insist that settling their minor differences with Strikeforce is still goal No. 1.
"We haven't spoken to [White]," M-1 Global executive Evgeni Kogan today told MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com). "He is just stirring the pot."
Kogan likened White's handling of the situation to the UFC exec's recent behavior surrounding a rumored April 17 UFC Fight Night card designed to counter-program Strikeforce's CBS-broadcast event the same night in Nashville.
"[White] was doing the same thing with counter-programming Strikeforce, and that came to nothing," Kogan said.
In March, White admitted to MMAjunkie.com that it is sometimes in his best interest to allow a bit of misinformation to make its way into the mixed martial arts media loop.
"I was never putting an April 17 show on," White said. "The media started calling me and asking me. I just [expletive] let it ride out and let [Strikeforce] sweat it. [Expletive] them. You want to compete with us, let's do it.
"I never, ever said I was doing an April 17 show. People asked me questions, and I said, 'Hmm, that's interesting.' I played a little bit. What you guys have got to understand sometimes is these guys consider themselves a competitor, and I like to compete, so I can't always tell you guys exactly what I'm doing and what I'm thinking and what's going to go on."
That said, White told a small group of reporters in Abu Dhabi for this weekend's UFC 112 event that he was intent on signing the Russian heavyweight.
"[Emelianenko] has become my obsession," White said. "I want it worse than the fans want it now, believe me."
Nevertheless, Kogan insisted there has been no discussion of a potential move for Emelianenko to the UFC – a transaction that has for years alternated between apparent certainty and obvious dead end.
"We are trying very hard to get the Strikeforce thing sewn up in good faith," Kogan said.
Due to the ongoing negotiations between Strikeforce and M-1 Global, Kogan declined to comment on the specifics of the points waiting to be hammered out, though he insisted the company remains hopeful Emelianenko will fight again soon.
Source: http://mmajunkie.com/news/18648/m-1-glo ... -white.mma