One of the biggest "what-if" fights in UFC and MMA history never happened 17 years ago, thanks to a surprising fallout between UFC CEO Dana White and legendary heavyweight Fedor Emelianenko.

The UFC intended to sign Emelianenko for a blockbuster title fight against Brock Lesnar for the heavyweight title, which was held by Lesnar at that time.

Lesnar was in the midst of an impressive run that included a TKO stoppage of then-champion Randy Couture at UFC 91 and a rematch win over Frank Mir at UFC 100. The fights were two of the biggest pay-per-views the promotion had put on at the time, and the UFC was hoping it could cash in with the Russian superstar sooner than later.

After Affliction MMA folded ahead of a planned third event on Aug. 1, 2009, it seemed the stars were aligning for the two sides to reach a deal.…