TLDR
- Dana White alleges Francis Ngannou physically grabbed him and pushed him back into his office during an argument about fight bonuses
- White claims Ngannou also grabbed UFC executive Hunter Campbell by the collar during a separate disagreement
- The UFC CEO says Ngannou demanded a private jet to Paris before his 2018 fight with Stipe Miocic
- White states Ngannou’s limited English is an act and calls him “a bad guy” behind closed doors
- Ngannou has not responded to these allegations or confirmed whether they are true
UFC President Dana White has made serious allegations about former heavyweight champion Francis Ngannou. Speaking on Andrew Schulz’s Flagrant podcast, White described two physical confrontations that allegedly occurred between them.
White claims the first incident happened after Ngannou fought but did not receive a $50,000 Performance of the Night bonus. The UFC boss says Ngannou came to his office upset about missing the bonus. According to White, when he tried to end the conversation and leave, Ngannou grabbed his shirt and pushed him back into the office.
“I said ‘dude, get your f—ing hands off me,'” White recalled. “I could see in this guy’s face and in his eyes and the way he’s acting who this guy really f—ing is.”
White did not specify which fight he was referring to. Based on Ngannou’s UFC record, it was likely either his knockout of Alistair Overeem or Cain Velasquez, as these were wins where he did not receive a bonus.
Physical Altercation with UFC Executive
White also described a second alleged incident involving Hunter Campbell, now the UFC’s Chief Business Officer. He claims that during a conversation between Campbell and Ngannou, the fighter grabbed Campbell by the back of his collar when Campbell tried to walk away. According to White, Ngannou told Campbell “we’re not done talking yet.”
The UFC president has called Ngannou “a bad guy” multiple times. He says the fighter’s public persona differs from his private behavior. White claims Ngannou pretends his English is worse than it actually is.
White also shared a story from before Ngannou’s 2018 fight with Stipe Miocic at UFC 220. He says Ngannou approached him after the press conference and demanded a private jet to Paris. White claims Ngannou’s English was “f—ing great” during this conversation. Miocic won that fight by decision.
Contract Dispute Led to UFC Exit
The relationship between White and Ngannou broke down after UFC 270 in January 2022. Ngannou defeated Ciryl Gane to unify the heavyweight title but chose not to re-sign with the promotion. He wanted the ability to take professional boxing matches while competing in MMA. The UFC would not allow this.
Ngannou left the promotion without losing his belt. The heavyweight title became vacant. He signed with the Professional Fighters League and pursued boxing opportunities. He fought Tyson Fury in October 2023 and Anthony Joshua in March 2024, earning millions for both bouts.
Ngannou has previously said White is bitter about losing the contract negotiation. He believes the UFC president cannot accept that a fighter walked away on their own terms. The two have not spoken positively about each other since the split.
Former UFC public relations executive Ant Evans commented on White’s allegations. Evans said he believes White’s account and that Ngannou made UFC staff “very uncomfortable” during office visits.
White stated he wanted to cut Ngannou after the first Miocic loss in 2018. He says his matchmakers convinced him to keep the fighter. Ngannou went on to become heavyweight champion in 2021 by knocking out Miocic in their rematch.
The UFC boss expressed doubt about PFL’s relationship with Ngannou. White suggested the promotion regrets signing him. Ngannou has fought once under the PFL banner, defeating Renan Ferreira by knockout in October 2024. He also serves as chairman for PFL Africa.
Ngannou has not responded to White’s allegations at the time of publication.
