War of words between White and Emelianenko escalates

Top-ranked heavyweight fighter Fedor Emelianenko

In a word of words that has been brewing for months, former PRIDE heavyweight champion Fedor Emelianenko has penned an open letter to UFC President Dana White, challenging him to allow fights between he and UFC's top heavyweights to take place.
Emelianenko, who is widely perceived as the number one pound-for-pound fighter in the world, opted not to sign with the UFC last year, saying the contract offered was too restrictive. He instead signed with the upstart M-1 Global organization.
Since the failure to sign Emelianenko, White has continually blasted Fedor, questioning his ability and the quality of his opponents. In an Oct. 2007 press conference, White went so far as to say "Fedor isn’t even a top-five heavyweight let alone (ranked) top pound-for-pound (fighter)" and that Emelianenko "sucks."
Since then, Emelianenko has penned an open letter responding to White's criticisms, challenging him to allow fights with UFC heavyweight champion Randy Couture and UFC interim heavyweight champion Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira to take place.

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