In July 2009, UFC President Dana White flew to the Island nation of Curacao in a last-ditch attempt to negotiate a potential deal with Fedor Emelianenko, then known as the baddest man on the planet.
At the time, the UFC president saw Emelianenko as his white whale — an obsession that haunted him ever since the heavyweight fighter rose to become arguably the greatest heavyweight fighter of all time. As the UFC continued to put rival promotions such as PRIDE FC and Affliction out of business, White’s determination to reach an agreement with Emelianenko became a necessity.