Dana White slams the door on Francis Ngannou UFC return. Whatever hope remained of seeing Francis Ngannou back inside the UFC Octagon appears to have been extinguished by Dana White.
The UFC CEO has once again made his position on the former heavyweight champion crystal clear, dismissing the possibility of doing business with Ngannou again and describing him as a “bad guy.” Since Ngannou parted ways with the UFC in January 2023 with Ngannou being stripped of a heavyweight title on his way out, he and White have been vocal about their disdain for each other both personally and professionally. That rift has seemingly erased any possibility of Ngannou ever stepping foot in the octagon again.
The feud was briefly revisited when White made the comments during an appearance on Nightcap when he was asked about the possibility of a blockbuster showdown between Ngannou and former UFC heavyweight champion Jon Jones. “Listen, Ngannou is on my Oscar De La Hoya list,” White said. “Look at the history of Francis Ngannou and the other companies he’s been with. 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. I just don’t.” White went on to say that, based on Ngannou’s history with the UFC and other organizations, he simply does not want to work with him. The comments are the latest chapter in the long-running relationship breakdown between the UFC boss and Ngannou.
Ngannou left the UFC in January 2023 after failing to reach a new agreement with the promotion. He was stripped of the UFC heavyweight championship following his departure. He subsequently signed with the PFL, where he also became chairman of PFL Africa. His time competing for the promotion was brief, however, with Ngannou making just one PFL appearance which was a 2024 victory over Renan Ferreira. He later left the organization. Ngannou has since remained one of combat sports’ biggest names, competing in high-profile boxing bouts against Tyson Fury and Anthony Joshua before continuing his MMA career outside the UFC.
The possibility of Ngannou fighting Jon Jones has remained one of MMA’s biggest fantasy matchups. The two heavyweight stars never met during their UFC careers, despite both eventually holding the division’s championship. But White’s latest comments make it clear that he has no interest in bringing Ngannou back to the UFC to make the fight happen. White even alluded to Jones’ unsavory character when praising his fighting acumen. “Jon Jones is the baddest dude to ever walk the face of the earth,” White said. “People always bust my balls when I say it, Jon Jones is not just a stone cold killer—That guy’s dark. He’s dark.”
For now, the UFC door appears firmly closed for Ngannou. While the former heavyweight champion remains one of the biggest names in combat sports, White’s latest comments suggest that a return to the Octagon is not on the table.
That also leaves the long-awaited Ngannou vs. Jon Jones matchup exactly where it has been for years.
