Francis Ngannou fires back at UFC boss Dana White after "bad guy" allegation

Francis Ngannou appears to have gotten wind of UFC CEO and president Dana White's "bad guy" remarks regarding him.

The former UFC heavyweight champion soon fired back at White, making some rather serious insinuations against the American combat sports promoter.

Francis Ngannou's turbulent latter phase in the UFC; exit and subsequent combat sports pursuits

Francis Ngannou's final UFC fight witnessed him narrowly outpoint then-interim UFC heavyweight champion Ciryl Gane despite dealing with knee injury issues. "The Predator" bested Gane via unanimous decision to defend his UFC heavyweight belt and unify the heavyweight titles in the headlining match of UFC 270 in January of 2022. 

Ngannou was said to have shared a rather tumultuous relationship with the UFC's Dana White at the time. Additionally, he was quite vocal about wanting better pay, comprehensive healthcare plans, the contractual freedom to compete in the sport of professional boxing, and more while still under contract with the UFC. 

The Cameroonian-French fighter was engaged in a highly publicized contract dispute with the UFC, which led to his departure from the organization in 2023, as his deal expired while he was still the UFC heavyweight champion. He was stripped of the title and released by the organization, following which he's competed just twice in the sport of MMA. 

Ngannou made his pro boxing debut in late 2023, losing a close fight via split decision against Englishman Tyson Fury. The Cameroon-born combatant's next, and latest, appearance inside the boxing ring saw him suffer a terrifying knockout defeat against another British boxing megastar, Anthony Joshua, in early 2024. 

Francis Ngannou fired back at Dana White after the UFC boss's "bad guy' accusation

Ex-UFC heavyweight kingpin Francis Ngannou signed with the PFL back in 2023, and he was even anointed as the Chairman of PFL Africa. Nevertheless, he fought just once in the PFL MMA organization, knocking out Renan Ferreira to notch the inaugural PFL Super Fights heavyweight belt in late 2024. 

His next, and most recent, MMA fight saw him depart the PFL and compete at MVP MMA 1 in May. Ngannou knocked out Philipe Lins at the inaugural MVP MMA event. Moreover, with the recent PFL-MVP merger, leading to the formation of a consolidated MVP MMA brand, many believe the 40-year-old would likely continue competing in MVP MMA. 

During his appearance on Nightcap, Dana White was asked about the oft-discussed heavyweight dream matchup between Ngannou and former UFC light heavyweight and heavyweight champion Jon Jones. 

White responded by suggesting that, akin to how he's publicly at odds with boxer-turned-promoter Oscar De La Hoya, his dynamics with Ngannou are somewhat similar. 

The UFC chief stated, "Listen, (Francis) Ngannou is on my 'Oscar De La Hoya' list. Okay?" 

Seemingly alluding to the criticism from some fans that Ngannou didn't compete as frequently in the PFL and was unable to truly boost PFL Africa, White added, "Look at the history of Francis Ngannou and the other companies that he's been with... He's a bad guy." 

He reiterated, saying, "He's a bad guy. And I'm at a point in my life where I just don't want to do business with bad guys." 

Watch Dana White criticize Francis Ngannou below (*comments at the 15:50-minute mark of the video): 

While White scoffed at the possibility of a potential Francis Ngannou vs. Jon Jones MMA showdown, Ngannou renewed his condemnation of the UFC representative. 

The UFC alum indicated that he incurred significant losses, as he spent extensively on legal assistance to break out of his UFC contract and steer clear of White. Ngannou, reacting to footage on X of White labeling him a bad guy, made the following statement on X: 

"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." He added, "You have to take that loss; it is irreversible." 

Presently, it's unclear whom Ngannou would fight and in which sport. Some fans and experts have conjectured that he could face former Glory Kickboxing heavyweight champion Rico Verhoeven, be it in boxing, kickboxing, MMA, or all three in separate events. 

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