No, Fedor Emelianenko did not sign with the UFC today

Fedor Emelianenko

The UFC’s “Go Big” news conference today in Las Vegas seemed the perfect place to announce the acquisition of heavyweight legend Fedor Emelianenko.

But alas, there’s no deal to announce, UFC President Dana White said.

“No,” the UFC executive said when asked if he might use the occasion to drop the news. “Next question.”

The answer was not what the hardcore fans in attendance wanted to hear, and they immediately let White know with a chorus of boos. Emelianenko (34-4), after all, is the white wale that’s eluded the promotion and kept them from satisfying the long-burning question of how “The Last Emperor” would fare in the UFC’s octagon.

“If I had something to tell you, we would have told you,” White cried out to fans. “Today’s ‘Go Big.’ If I had it, I’d tell you. I don’t got it. What do you want me to say?”

So far, the only word of Emelianenko’s plans has come from a report this week that claimed he was UFC-bound and could debut at November’s UFC 193 against a to-be-determined opponent. Denials were issued by the fighter and the promotion, but they weren’t enough to quell speculation that White might surprise everyone with news of a deal.

When the list of announcements rolled out for the UFC’s fall and winter plans, however, the absence of Emelianenko lingered heavily enough for a reporter to broach the subject with White.

Emelianenko, 38, recently announced he would return to competition three years after retiring from the sport. Of encouragement to his fans was White’s seeming willingness to talk with the fighter, despite repeatedly bad-mouthing his reps in the years since failed negotiations scratched a proposed mega-fight between with now ex-champ Brock Lesnar in 2009.

A report citing the heavyweight said the two sides were negotiating. But according to White, there’s nothing promising enough to make public.

Once thought unbeatable by a large and vocal section of MMA fans, Emelianenko slid after rejecting the UFC’s 2009 offer, said to be massively lucrative, to fight for the now-defunct Strikeforce. Following a successful debut against Brett Rogers, he was submitted by now-UFC heavyweight champ Fabricio Werdum, ending a virtually unblemished 10-year win streak.

Emelianenko continued to flag after his loss to Werdum, losing subsequent bouts to current UFC fighters Antonio Silva and Dan Henderson. The latter loss to Henderson, who fought most of his career at middleweight, prompted him to declare his retirement.

In 2011, however, he returned to the M-1 Global ring, beating onetime UFC heavyweight title challenger Jeff Monson and then Olympia gold medalist judoka Satoshi Ishii. After beating veteran heavyweight Pedro Rizzo, he formally announced his retirement and then took a job as a minister of sport in Russia.

In July, it was reported that Emelianenko had returned to training. His former promoter, ex-Strikeforce CEO and current Bellator President Scott Coker, balked at offering a deal.

For more on the UFC’s upcoming schedule, stay tuned to the UFC Rumors section of the site.