TLDR
- Dana White says Francis Ngannou is on his list of people he won’t work with, calling him a ‘bad guy’
- Ngannou left the UFC in 2023 after rejecting what White claims was the highest heavyweight offer
- White alleges Ngannou grabbed him by the collar during a dispute over a $50,000 bonus
- Ngannou has had business disputes with multiple organizations including the PFL and his former gym
- White rejected the idea of Ngannou returning to the UFC when his coach suggested it last year
Sources: yardbarker.com
UFC President Dana White says he will never work with former heavyweight champion Francis Ngannou again. White appeared on the Nightcap podcast recently to promote a boxing match between Ryan Garcia and Conor Benn.
When asked if he would ever do business with Ngannou, White was direct. “Listen, Ngannou is on my Oscar De La Hoya list,” White said. “He’s a bad guy, man. I’m at a point in my life that I don’t want to do business with bad guys.”
Ngannou left the UFC in 2023 after his contract ended. The fighter believed the UFC wasn’t paying him what he was worth.
White has claimed the UFC offered Ngannou a deal that would have made him the highest-paid heavyweight. Ngannou turned down the offer and left the promotion after beating Ciryl Gane at UFC 270.
Francis Ngannou: “The biggest #UFC fight of all-time can ONLY happen with Jon Jones vs Francis Ngannou!”
🎥 https://t.co/fsQTPr0d0k pic.twitter.com/9WREmMaxGo— MMA UNCENSORED (@MMAUNCENSORED1) November 10, 2025
History of Business Disputes
White pointed to Ngannou’s history with other organizations as evidence of problems. In 2015, Ngannou got into a dispute with his former coach Fernand Lopez. Lopez accused Ngannou of refusing to pay gym membership fees at MMA Factory, which led to their split.
Ngannou later joined the PFL with an $8 million-per-fight deal. He also took on the role of chairman of PFL Africa. However, he missed the promotion’s first event on the continent.
Former PFL CEO Donn Davis said he was disappointed with Ngannou. The fighter eventually left the PFL after only one fight under the promotion despite the big contract.
Physical Confrontation Alleged
White revealed that his feud with Ngannou became personal during their time together. He said Ngannou once grabbed him by the collar in his office.
The incident happened when Ngannou was upset about not getting a $50,000 bonus. “I said Francis you didn’t get it for this, that [reason] and he’s in my office and he’s arguing with me,” White said on the Flagrant podcast last year.
White said he was trying to leave when Ngannou grabbed his shirt. “He grabs me by my shirt and pushes me back in my office and I said ‘dude, get your f—ing hands off me,'” White explained.
The UFC president also claimed Ngannou threatened UFC Chief Business Officer Hunter Campbell. White later walked back some of these comments in an interview with The Mac Life, saying Ngannou didn’t actually “threaten” them.
Last year, Ngannou’s coach Eric Nicksick expressed interest in his fighter returning to the UFC. White shut down the idea immediately at UFC Baku. The UFC president has been consistent in his position that he will not work with Ngannou again.
Ngannou is now 40 years old and has had two exits from major MMA promotions. White continues to maintain that the former heavyweight champion’s business practices make him someone to avoid.
