The dispute between Dana White and Francis Ngannou seems far from over. During media appearances on Friday, White made several remarks about his former UFC heavyweight champion while speaking on BigBoyTV.
White compared Ngannou to Oscar De La Hoya, saying, “Look at Francis Ngannou’s history with other companies since leaving UFC. He’s a bad guy. I just don’t want to do business with people like that anymore.” When asked about the last time he wanted a fighter he promoted to lose, White admitted it was at UFC 270 in January 2022, during Ngannou’s last UFC fight against Ciryl Gane. “You better believe I wanted Ngannou to lose,” he said.
Ngannou responded on X (formerly Twitter), telling White to “take that loss” regarding him leaving the UFC. He added, “I spent over three years and a lot of money with lawyers trying to escape, while he did everything to keep me from being free. That loss is permanent.”
Their feud dates back to early 2018, around the time Ngannou first challenged Stipe Miocic for the UFC heavyweight title at UFC 220. Their relationship remained strained over the following five years, especially as Ngannou’s contract neared its end. He eventually let his UFC deal expire and left the organization without ever losing the belt.
Now 40, Ngannou has expanded his combat sports career, boxing notable fighters Tyson Fury and Anthony Joshua. He then returned to MMA, securing a victory over Renan Ferreira in the PFL in October 2024 and followed that by quickly knocking out Philipe Lins for MVP MMA, which was featured on Netflix.
Fan Take: This ongoing clash between two of MMA’s biggest personalities highlights the often-complicated relationship between fighters and promotion heads. How this rivalry evolves could set important precedents for fighter autonomy and contract negotiations in the sport moving forward.
Source: sports.yahoo.com
