Dana White is not willing to welcome Francis Ngannou back to the UFC.
It seems as though the relationship between the UFC and former heavyweight champion Francis Ngannou is severed forever. Earlier this year, the former champion Ngannou decided to part ways with the UFC after a year of unsuccessful negotiations. He chose to relinquish his title and move on to free agency.
Ngannou came to the UFC back in 2015 and immediately began to turn heads. His power was something that was unmatched and he stood out in the heavyweight division right away. He worked his way up to a title shot pretty quickly but was met with his first loss to Stipe Miocic. Not to be stopped, Ngannou finally got another shot at Miocic and the belt, and this time he won. Ngannou was a star and he wanted to be paid like one. He began pushing for better purses and better contracts, but in the end, his demands were not met.
Dana White is not willing to give Francis Ngannou another shot in the UFC
Ngannou was looking to improve fighter pay for all athletes in the UFC but for himself, he wanted the opportunity to box. He wants big-money fights with some of the world’s top boxers such as Tyson Fury and Anthony Joshua. The UFC was not willing to give him that so Ngannou left. Because of the nature of the departure, he will not be welcomed back. UFC president Dana White spoke about this during UFC 285 fight week.
Dana White says Francis Ngannou will never be in the UFC again.https://t.co/vfjpAaWVbt
— Jed I. Goodman © (@jedigoodman) March 4, 2023
No, we negotiated with him for years,” White said. “It’s over. That’s over. No, he’ll never be in the UFC again.
Ngannou has mentioned that he would not likely return to the UFC as well. He is looking to get back to MMA after taking a boxing match but has options with different organizations. Bellator has expressed interest as well as PFL. Both would be good fits for him as he should have the ability to move freely between MMA and boxing.
