"UFC president Dana White has been relentless in his criticism of ex-PRIDE heavyweight champion Fedor Emelianenko over the past several years.

White has criticized and mocked the popular Russian for failing to face top competition and taking on inexperienced and even smaller fighters over the past three years.

But upon learning that Emelianenko had submitted ex-UFC heavyweight champion Tim Sylvia on Saturday in Anaheim, Calif., in less than a minute, White unflinchingly admitted he was impressed.

"It does (change my opinion)," he conceded. "Tim Sylvia was a real opponent."

It's not that this is some sort of revolutionary insight. It's that to get Dana White to humbly admit the talent of a fighter who, in his mind anyway, scorned him and competes for a rival league is both rare and revealing. And while White doesn't say much here in the way of details, simply saying anything at all is all you need to hear. A quiet, but candid moment from Dana White is a real confession."

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