Joe Rogan, Dana White, Fedor & Mafia Truth Bombs
By Bas Boon
I just watched the latest Joe Rogan Experience, and folks, I nearly choked on my Pad Thai. Rogan casually drops a bomb: Dana White, Fedor Emelianenko, and the Russian Mafia in the same sentence.
Well, surprise, surprise — I actually lived that chapter.
Let me quickly peek into the Bloodsport Syndicate: The Mafia MMA Chronicles — my upcoming book trilogy that reads like Breaking Bad doing squats with The Sopranos. I produced over 300 fight shows, managed Golden Glory, and helped build Team Red Devil with none other than Fedor and Kharitonov.
Now fast-forward to the Fedor Pride FC mess, where things got spicy.
2003 New Year’s Eve in Japan was a bloodbath of broadcast insanity. You had Pride FC, Dynamite, and Inoki Bombaye all airing shows at the same time. Smart? Not exactly. But enter me and my lawyer, Miro Mijatovic, who somehow ended up promoting Bombaye after K-1 and Pride FC ran off with our dignity and paychecks.
Joe Rogan read the books; you will love it as a Fight Fan. Here’s the twist:
Fedor was allegedly injured and not scheduled to fight, but I pulled a little stunt—I got him to headline Bombaye, replacing Mirko Cro Cop (who, according to juicy rumors, was paid by Pride to “take the night off” and sabotage our card).
If the rumors were true, Pride FC would pay Mirko Cro Cop not to fight on the competitive Inoki Bombaye Show to kill the promotion. I managed to get Fedor to fight as a substitute for Crop Cop. This had to do with a fake Pogoding Pride FC contract (details in my book).
Result? Mafia-level fallout.
Kawamata, an alleged Yakuza fixer, disappeared with $8 million from NTV Inoki Bombaye, fleeing to Hawaii. Guns were placed on tables. My lawyer’s family had to flee Japan and start over in Australia. Welcome to the world of full-contact politics.
I flew to Russia, where I was setting up Red Devil with Vadim Finkelstein. I offered Fedor 4x the money to fight on NYE. He was still under the Russian Top Team and managed by Pogodin, who had about as much integrity as a wet paper bag. I peeled Fedor and Kharitonov away from him, not without a few death threats from those referring to them as “Russian Mafia”.
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By then, threats were part of my coffee break.
Kharitonov joined Team Golden Glory. We ensured Fedor joined Red Devil because too many Golden Glory fighters on one roster = instant contract war.
Then came the million-dollar Yakuza demand to use Fedor. Another million if we dared let him fight. This stuff? Joe Rogan podcast gold. He could run a month of The Rogan Experience on this madness alone — no exaggeration.
Fedor fought at the NYE Bom-Ba-Ye 2003 Event.
Why? Because I know how to negotiate under threats and shotguns, and my management contract (in Mijatovic’s name) made it happen.
Mijatovic, fluent in Japanese and sharper than a Katana, ensured everything was locked in. He handled more than bookings. I got paid for a while… until renegotiations with Pride started. That’s when the “creative accounting” kicked in, and suddenly I was 300K short.
Fedor Emeleinenko resigns with Pride FC in the office of Bas Boon in Holland. Present are Shinoda from PrideFC, Appy Echteld, Fedor Emelianeko, Fadim Finkelstein and Bas Boon.
Cue the beef:
I clashed with Fedor, part of the now-bankrupt 2H2H Holland crew, and everything went to hell. My car got shot. I landed on a police watchlist. My house was raided. Cars confiscated (they were later returned — no hard feelings, right?).
When we filed a lawsuit, Yakuza ties surfaced, and the Tokyo Metropolitan Police stormed the Fuji TV building. Boom. Pride lost its main TV deal.
Sakakibara, the most intelligent man in a doomed ship, promoted two US events and sold Pride FC to UFC for $70 million. Spoiler: it was a cat in a bag. UFC tried keeping a Japan office but bailed fast.
The reality? You might want to check this Joe Rogan. Maybe the UFC bought tape libraries and bragging rights?
Meanwhile, Dana White claimed he flew to Russia to get Fedor.
Josh Barnett vs Semmy Schilt booked by me and Mijatovic for Bom Baye 2003 NYE Event. Left to right, Semmy Schilt, Fedor Emelianenko with Bas Boon, and lawyer Miro Mijatovic with Fadim Finkestein.
Incredible story from Dana White and Joe Rogan, but here’s mine:
I literally visited Zuffa HQ in Vegas. I sat with Dana, told him how I got Fedor away from Pogodin, explained the weak spots in Vadim and Fedor’s loyalty chain, and laid out the plan—it had already worked with Kharitonov.
Dana said he’d “think about it.” Never heard back.
Maybe he preferred offering absurd money instead of using his brain. I admire Dana’s work — no sarcasm — but I think the UFC tried to screw me, politely, of course (details in the book).
There might be a whole other reason Fedor never signed with the UFC. It’s the book, integrity, egos, and international business logic don’t mix well.
I continued working with Russian promoters — saw guns on referee tables, dodged more shady characters than John Wick, and survived the chaos with sarcasm and strategy.
So, dear Joe Rogan, I’ll gladly fly in from Thailand to join your show. Bring your mic, I’ll bring the stories.
It’s mafia, MMA, and madness—with a Dutch-Thai twist.
My book series will soon be released in Japan (yes, translated), and two Japanese film crews are circling, to make this the next Netflix Blockbuster. I might earn back my missing 300K, plus late fees.
From Left to right: Appy Echteld, Bas Boon, Miro Mijatovic, and (Alleged, Yakuza Fixer) Kawamata in Japan!
Joe Rogan is the target of Ivermectin’s “De-Wormer Hoax.”
https://basboon.com/joe-rogan-is-the-target-of-ivermectin-de-wormer-hoax/
(C) Bas Boon http://www.basboon.com