Dana White guarantees that Francis Ngannou is the very last thing on his thoughts.
Regardless of not working collectively for practically two years, the UFC CEO and the previous heavyweight champion hardly ever escape questions on one another. The newest fracas began after White revealed that he needed to chop Ngannou after he suffered back-to-back losses within the UFC in 2018.
That earned a response from Ngannou, who referred to as his former boss a “bully” and added that White might be “praying for my downfall” whereas additionally claiming that the UFC truly owes cash that was promised to him after wins over Ciryl Gane and Stipe Miocic.
“When have you ever ever heard a narrative in all of the years we’ve been in enterprise, even when it was the wrong way up, the place we owed any person cash? By no means occurred,” White stated about Ngannou’s claims on the UFC 308 post-fight press convention. “So he’s stuffed with shit there.
“Then, I misplaced? I didn’t lose something. I used to be performed with Francis after the [Derrick Lewis fight]. Truly, he owes me cash as a result of we needed to watch that combat with him and ‘The Black Beast.’ He ought to truly pay me again for that combat and all of you. Me praying [for his downfall] — belief me, I don’t take into consideration Francis that a lot. You guys ask me the query concerning the PFL and I responded. Aside from that, the one one who’s praying for his demise might be the PFL as a result of they signed a shitty contract with a man that doesn’t ship any numbers and ticket gross sales or pay-per-views. They’ve acquired to maintain paying this man for nonetheless lengthy and good for him. Not good for them.”
As a lot as White maintained that he completely needed to launch Ngannou from the UFC roster, there’s no denying that he bounced again from these losses and ultimately received the heavyweight title. Ngannou’s run with the UFC ended after six straight wins together with victories over 4 ex-champions.
However White says the problems he had with Ngannou had nothing to do along with his expertise as a fighter however somewhat private issues between them that spiraled uncontrolled. Whereas he didn’t reveal the character of their fallout, White defined that his relationship with Ngannou was by no means the identical once more.
“Sometime, I’ll inform you the story. I used to be all about Francis to start with after which I came upon who Francis was,” White stated. “I instructed the 2 guys who requested me to not reduce Francis when any person reveals you who they’re, consider them. Imagine me, I’ve no sleepless nights over Francis leaving.
“I didn’t like Francis as an individual. It wasn’t a man I needed to do enterprise with. My boys have been telling me he’s misunderstood. I instructed them when any person reveals you who they’re, consider them. It wasn’t about him changing into heavyweight champion of the world. Francis isn’t a superb man. He performs the great man. ‘I don’t perceive the language’ so he looks as if he’s a pleasant man. He’s not, and he’s simply not a man I needed to be in enterprise with, interval. Finish of story. Whether or not he turned the champion or not.”
Ngannou clearly left in free company earlier than reserving a pair of boxing matches towards Tyson Fury and Anthony Joshua earlier than lastly making his PFL debut with a win over Renan Ferreira.
He stays beneath contract with the PFL however has additionally hinted at a possible return to boxing sooner or later.
Regardless of the place he goes subsequent, White guarantees there’s no phrase the place he ever will get again in enterprise with Ngannou once more.
“We received’t be. We’ll by no means be in enterprise collectively,” White stated. “You possibly can inform. We don’t like one another. This goes again to earlier than the primary Stipe combat. He pulled some shit earlier than the primary Stipe combat, and I stated I’m performed with this man after which Stipe beat the shit out of him. Nice night time. We by no means had a relationship after that.”
It’s secure to say that White received’t be bending over backwards to current Ngannou with any alternatives and that features a potential combat towards UFC heavyweight champion Jon Jones.
Whereas that’s a matchup that White desperately needed to see as soon as upon a time, that’s not and possibility and if Jones goes to combat anyone after he faces Miocic at UFC 309, it definitely received’t be Ngannou.
“He didn’t need that combat,” White stated about Ngannou going through Jones. “He may have stayed and took that combat. He didn’t need that combat. Tom Aspinall deserves that combat.”
