The bitter saga between Francis Ngannou and Dana White continues nearly four years after the Cameroonian parted ways with the UFC. For the unversed, Ngannou left the promotion in January 2023 after fighting out his contract, with negotiations breaking down over his desire to pursue boxing and other contractual demands.
White has repeatedly claimed that Ngannou is not a nice person to deal with and that he would never do business with him. Now, he has admitted that he was rooting against Ngannou when the heavyweight champion defended his title against Ciryl Gane at UFC 270.
For the unversed, the fight took place in January 2022 and marked Ngannou’s final Octagon appearance. The Cameroonian successfully defended his heavyweight crown before leaving the UFC after negotiations failed to reach an agreement that would keep him with the promotion.
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White even considers Ngannou as unlikable as Oscar de la Hoya, his longtime promotional rival. During an interview with BigBoyTV, he said, “Listen, Ngannou is on my Oscar De La Hoya list. Look at the history of Francis Ngannou and the other companies he’s been with since. He’s a bad guy, man. He’s a bad guy. I’m just at a point in my life where I don’t want to do business with bad guys. I just don’t.”
When asked whether he wanted to see Ngannou lose to Gane, White did not hold back. He said, “That’s a good question, too – a guy I wanted to lose. It would have to be Francis Ngannou and Ciryl Gane. … You’re damn right I wanted Ngannou to lose.”
Those comments did not take long to draw a response from Ngannou. The former UFC champion took to X and told White to accept the loss that ultimately came with their failed business relationship.
He wrote, “Saying the guy that I spent over three years and a lot of money in law firms building an escape plan to get away from, meanwhile he was doing everything in his power to ensure I was never free. You have to take that loss; it is irreversible.”
Saying the guy that I spent over three years and a lot of money in law firms building an escape plan to get away from, meanwhile he was doing everything in his power to ensure I was never free.🙄
You have to take that loss; it is irreversible.😎✌🏽
— Francis Ngannou (@francis_ngannou) September 11, 2026
The feud between White and Ngannou dates back to early 2018, around the time of Ngannou’s first heavyweight title challenge against Stipe Miocic at UFC 220. The pair had a turbulent relationship over the next five years, with tensions escalating as Ngannou’s contract neared its end.
Ngannou ultimately allowed his deal to expire and walked away from the UFC as the reigning heavyweight champion, leaving the promotion without ever losing the belt inside the Octagon.
After his UFC exit, Ngannou joined the PFL, signing on not only to compete for the promotion but also to serve as chairman of PFL Africa. The partnership produced mixed results, with Ngannou competing just once under the PFL banner: a 2024 victory over Renan Ferreira, before leaving the organization this past March.
His biggest appearances in recent years, however, came outside the PFL. Ngannou tested himself against heavyweight boxing stars Tyson Fury and Anthony Joshua before returning to MMA and defeating Ferreira. In May 2026, he competed for the first time since that PFL bout, quickly knocking out Philipe Lins for MVP MMA on Netflix.
Given the history between Ngannou and White, a UFC return seems highly unlikely. And judging by their latest back-and-forth, the bad blood between the two is clearly not going anywhere anytime soon.
Kshitiz Kumar Singh is a UFC Writer at NY Fights with over three years of experience in sports journalism and content creation. Known for his sharp storytelling and passion for combat sports, he has written in-depth features on stars like Brock Lesnar, Randy Couture, and Ilia Topuria. Before joining NY Fights, Kshitiz worked as a UFC Editor at EssentiallySports while currently serving as a WWE Editor at FirstSportz. His admiration for legends like Georges St-Pierre continues to inspire his detailed and engaging MMA coverage. Whether he’s covering the Octagon or the squared circle, Kshitiz is committed to delivering accurate, high-quality content. Outside the world of sports, he’s a dedicated cinephile, often found practicing monologues from his favorite Al Pacino films, combining his love for cinema with storytelling.
