Overview
- Emelianenko spoke Thursday to Russian YouTube channel Ushatayka and accused UFC CEO Dana White of changing his account of past efforts to sign him and of using inconsistent business tactics.
- He denied reports that he was negotiating a fight with Francis Ngannou, saying English-language outlets twisted a hypothetical remark and that no talks have taken place.
- Emelianenko said injuries rule out a return to mixed martial arts but that he would consider a one-off boxing match with Ngannou as a hypothetical idea.
- His account stresses that UFC approaches often arrived after he had already signed with other promotions, which he says could have triggered lawsuits and barred him from fighting while disputes were resolved.
- Multiple major MMA outlets published English translations of the Ushatayka interview via Red Corner MMA and no formal fight negotiations or contracts have been announced, leaving the dispute over past negotiations as the central development.