Francis Ngannou’s time with the UFC may be long over, but the dark cloud of his relationship with Dana White still hangs overhead. The UFC boss recently raised eyebrows by reflecting on an alleged interaction he had with Ngannou before the former heavyweight champion’s first title shot in 2018.
Speaking on the “Flagrant” podcast, White claimed Ngannou physically accosted him and UFC CBO Hunter Campbell. White alleged that Ngannou demanded a private flight prior to his title loss to Stipe Miocic and later stormed the UFC offices, upset about not receiving a $50,000 bonus in a subsequent bout. The latter resulted in Ngannou putting his hands on both White and Campbell, White claimed. “This guy’s not a good f***ing guy,” White proclaimed of Ngannou. “He’s a bad guy.”
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Ngannou, 39, addressed the accusations for the first time Wednesday on “The Ariel Helwani Show.” When asked about the alleged incident, Ngannou said he wasn’t surprised White would make such claims.
“I kind of, at some point, feel very annoyed to have to be responsible for what people say,” Ngannou told Uncrowned. “Basically, like if Dana say this, then I’m out here going to basically defend myself of what Dana said, or whoever. I think whatever he said, if he’s at peace with [it], it’s OK. I don’t find it necessary [to address]. At some point, it was [necessary], but over time, it’s not anymore.
“Maybe I’m getting old. I feel like I have less energy for drama stuff. I just want to be in peace and people to leave me alone. That’s all. We shouldn’t have gone this way. Why did we get all this way, first of all? What’s the purpose? How did we get from where we were to where we are right now?
“I would just say it’s quite disappointing the way that things went. That’s all.”
When directly asked about the story’s validity and whether he did indeed get physical with his then-bosses at the UFC, Ngannou responded as follows.
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“He must be the only person I ever put my hand on,” Ngannou said of White. “In his office, that’s what he said, right? I’m sure he has a lot of cameras there.
“I’m not inviting him to do anything [like release footage]. I’m not in court. … I just get tired of this stuff. I really saw that [when White first said it] and scrolled. I get past it.”
“I’m long gone from that,” Ngannou added.
Ngannou hasn’t fought since making PFL debut against Renan Ferreira in October 2024. The first-round stoppage win marked the former UFC champion’s first MMA fight in nearly three full years.
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Post-UFC, Ngannou has largely focused on his boxing career over MMA. He’s only boxed twice, falling short to heavyweight greats Tyson Fury and Anthony Joshua, but intends to have at least one more boxing match before all is said and done.
Ngannou could have even returned to action as early as next weekend.
Boxing’s most polarizing figure, Jake Paul, competes against Joshua next Friday, Dec. 19, in a Miami match that was initially booked for Paul to take on WBA lightweight champion Gervonta Davis. After plans dissolved due to Davis’ latest legal troubles, Ngannou’s name entered the mix as a potential replacement.
Ngannou confirmed Wednesday that he was a real player in negotiations, but ultimately he viewed the match as beneath him.
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“Honestly, yeah, I kind of had that thought,” Ngannou said. “They made an offer. It was a very good offer, let’s say that.
“Nakisa reached out and was telling me that Gervonta Davis is having some situation, so he’s not going to be in the fight anymore, and they are looking for a replacement, and then they thought about me. Me? How? To fight Jake Paul?
“I was very confused. How can you guys go from Gervonta Davis to me? It was quite confusing. I didn’t even believe that.”
Ngannou hasn’t kept it a secret that his two forays into the boxing ring financially paid off more than his MMA career ever has. The veteran knockout artist could retire tomorrow and be just fine. So when it came to the reality of a Paul fight, money wasn’t necessarily in question.
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If anything, his surprise mostly centered around Paul competing at a heavyweight, Ngannou said.
“I personally didn’t talk money, but he was ready to pay,” Ngannou said. “He said even if the money is right. … They had an intention to pay me a good amount of money. It was so confusing. I didn’t know what was going on. Then afterward, after a couple days, I saw the ‘AJ’ announcement, then I’m like, ‘OK. I’m curious to see that fight, honestly.’”
No fights are currently scheduled or in the works for Ngannou. He said he’s in great shape and preparing for whatever may be next, whether that’s in or out of the PFL cage. Ngannou said his ideal next opponents are Deontay Wilder in boxing and Jon Jones in MMA — the latter of which he lacks confidence in ever coming to fruition, given the state of his relationship with the UFC.
But that doesn’t mean Paul is permanently off the table. Depending on how the Joshua match plays out, Ngannou would be open to getting his hands on “The Problem Child” in 2026.
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“I really like Jake, but on the other hand, this guy manages to get in your head to piss you off a little bit. … Maybe just to beat him up a little bit, that wouldn’t be bad,” Ngannou said.
“I don’t personally give a chance of him — there’s not a zero chance, but he has a very less of a chance against ‘AJ.’ Let’s say if he survives that fight, he’s at that level.”
