Will Francis Ngannou and Nate Diaz return to the UFC? Israel Adesanya weighs in: "This isn't a guy that quits"
Francis Ngannou and Nate Diaz are two of the biggest stars in the world of MMA to leave the UFC within the past 12 months. While the Stockton slugger chose not to re-sign with the promotion before fighting the last fight on his contract, the Cameroonian's contract renegotiation talks fell through after failing to come to terms on fighter pay, healthcare, and freedom to explore boxing.
Given the circumstances under which they departed, it seems highly unlikely that 'The Predator' will ever return to the UFC. However, Israel Adesanya believes that Francis Ngannou will once again step into the octagon and that the former heavyweight champion's story in the UFC hasn't finished yet.
In a recent interview with Ariel Helwani on The MMA Hour, Adesanya was asked to comment on Ngannou's current situation and a potential UFC return in the future. He replied:
"I'm proud of him because his story is very unique from before the UFC... The story's not over yet... This isn't a guy that just quits. Dana said some stuff in the past, 'Women would never fight in the UFC...' Look where we are now... I think he might do what he does and come back... Nate will be back, he's still got the McGregor fight and all the big fights."
What’s understood doesn’t need to be explained 🤝 twitter.com/jedigoodman/st…
Francis Ngannou UFC return: What did Dana White say about 'The Predator' coming back?
It's no secret that there is no love lost between Francis Ngannou and UFC president Dana White. The two have been at loggerheads since the beginning of Ngannou's contract re-negotiation, with White publically refusing to give in to the Cameroonian's contract demands.
In April, Dana White stated outright that he will never work with Ngannou again and that 'The Predator' will never return to the UFC. In an interview with Pat McAfee, White was asked point blank if Ngannou's UFC return was possible, to which he replied:
"No. We worked with this guy for two years, we tried to get him a fight. He's absolutely impossible to deal with. He's - no, he'll never be in the UFC again. So, he made his decision - we worked hard, man... We offered him a lot of money, showed him nothing but respect. We wanted to keep him, and that ship has sailed."
Dana White on Francis Ngannou: 'He'll never be in the UFC again' https://t.co/22sA5vRGTp
While fans have always been optimistic about Ngannou's return to the UFC, thanks to the former heavyweight champion's unfinished business with Jon Jones, his new and immensely lucrative contract with the PFL makes it very unlikely that he ever steps into the octagon again.