Francis Ngannou and Dana White: A saga of the back-and-forth between UFC CEO and 'The Predator'
Francis Ngannou has a tainted history with Dana White that ultimately led him to part ways with the UFC. Let's know in detail on what transpired in an important move made by the former UFC heavyweight champion.
'The Predator' made an instant impact in the UFC from the moment he made his debut. His speed, size, and power, were very clear indications that he could be a future superstar and the organization realized this, using him in advertisements during his rise. However, the first sign of trouble came after Ngannou lost to Stipe Miocic. Following the loss, Dana White made a questionable comment.
White stated that the heavyweight's ego caused him to lose the fight. Naturally, Francis Ngannou was not happy with the comments and their relationship soured over the incident. To make matters worse, 'The Predator' lost his next match to Derrick Lewis, and White's comments started to make sense to fans. However, the heavyweight made an incredible comeback, getting four knockout wins.
Ngannou beat some of the best fighters in the division but was not given a title shot. He was understandably frustrated that he could not get another title shot as the UFC wanted the Daniel Cormier vs. Stipe Miocic trilogy to take place, which meant Ngannou fought just once in all of 2020.
Francis Ngannou questions fighter pay and grows irate of the UFC
When Francis Ngannou finally got his title shot, he showed tremendous improvement and dominated Stipe Miocic. The next issue arose when the UFC set up an interim title fight between Derrick Lewis and Ciryl Gane instead of waiting one month to set up Ngannou vs Lewis. With this move, 'The Predator' did not understand the motives of the management.
The biggest and final nail in the relationship between Francis Ngannou, Dana White, and the UFC was regarding fighter pay. The Cameroonian, who comes from very humble beginnings asked the question of why UFC fighters get paid so less as compared to YouTube boxers. This question did not sit well with White or the organization.
Ngannou kept pushing for higher fighter pay but to no avail. Dana White was very clear that fighters would earn as much as the revenue they generated. This pay dispute and all the other reasons combined led to the heavyweight champion deciding to leave the UFC.
He will face Tyson Fury in a boxing match on October 28, which is expected to generate him a massive amount of money.