Mike Chiappetta talks to the boss man of the UFC about the Brock Lesnar situation:

UFC President Dana White, when reached via text, said he could not comment on anything regarding the champion's health and re-evaluation. "Brock asked me not to talk about it," he said. "I have to respect that." When asked if he could make any statement at all about Lesnar, White was again uncharacteristically silent. "No comment," he said. "First time in nine years I have ever said that."

I don't take this as a good sign.

Here's the reality of the situation. The UFC has hitched its wagon to Lesnar. He was the dominant PPV attraction for the UFC in 2008 when he fought on three cards. In 2009 when he only fought once he was still their #3 drawing performer.

More importantly Lesnar had emerged as the fearsome and charismatic undisputed heavyweight champion that has long eluded the UFC.

And the fact that Dana White is stepping lightly shows just how delicate this situation is. It's not just a matter of Lesnar's physical state. Lesnar has a long track record of walking away from successful runs with pro-wrestling promotions and leaving everyone hanging. As Zach Arnold wrote back in November:

Lesnar is known for being successful at one thing and then decided to quit and move on. He gets bored, he gets disinterested, and he always needs a new challenge. ...



Which is why the news of Lesnar taking significant time off should make people in UFC very nervous. ... That's what happens when you put all of your eggs into his basket. He sells millions of PPV buys and is a huge name. He will always have a fan base with him no matter where he goes, which is why Brock Lesnar is doubly dangerous for any promoter to book long-term. Even when he has a legitimate reason for not showing up (like an illness), it always creeps up in the back of your head about whether or not he has any loyalty left to you or is interested in continuing doing what he is doing at the current time.

Lesnar may very well be struggling with a serious illness, but when a guy with only a financial interest in fighting has just made a few million in the last two years you have to think that he's very aware that he doesn't have to return to the Octagon if he doesn't want to or isn't feeling 100%.

The most frustrating thing for the UFC is that without a chance for any of their top heavyweight prospects -- Shane Carwin, Cain Velasquez, Junior Dos Santos -- to face off against Lesnar, none of them will be able to build an aura of ferociousness that will have fans questioning whether or not they could beat Fedor.

This only makes Fedor Emelianenko all the more valuable and makes Dana White's failure to sign him all the more galling for the UFC.