Dana White ripped by ex-UFC star for 'weird personality trait' amid ongoing feud with Francis Ngannou

10/30/2024 05:09 AM

Francis Ngannou and Dana White have seemingly been at loggerheads for the best part of six years, dating back to when the Cameroonian suffered back-to-back defeats during his ascent towards super stardom.

Their intense feud, though, did not boil over until 2022, when Ngannou departed from MMA's flagship promotion following his unanimous decision victory over Ciryl Gane.

Since then, the former UFC heavyweight champion has dabbled in professional boxing, losing a contentious split decision to Tyson Fury before getting brutally knocked out by Anthony Joshua.

And yet, following his emphatic first-round finish against Renan Ferreira in his PFL debut, the 38-year-old remains convinced that he was right to leave the UFC.

Francis Ngannou's heated dispute with Dana White resonates with Ben Askren

Francis Ngannou attests that, financially, he has exponentially benefited from his move to the PFL, a rival MMA promotion that includes the likes of YouTube star Jake Paul in its growing roster.

Olympic wrestler Ben Askren, too, has been vocal about his fractured relationship with Dana White, suggesting that the UFC boss has a serious personality flaw.

Following a swap deal with MMA legend Demetrious Johnson, Askren submitted Robbie Lawler in the first round of his UFC debut in 2019.

But then, after losing to both Jorge Masvidal and Demian Maia, 'Funky' claims that he was denied an opportunity to get back in the win column.

"[White] didn't offer me a contract," Askren said on an episode of Funky and the Champ.

"He did the same thing with [Cris Cyborg], I believe Randy Couture had a similar experience, Francis…but there's this weird part of Dana's personality where if he can't get exactly what he wants, he starts crapping on people.

"And because he has a big microphone and he's generally very truthful, and correct, so people just believe him…I had to deal with many years of Dana telling lies about me that were just really harmful."

Dana White hits back at Francis Ngannou

In response to Ngannou's comments regarding his more lucrative opportunities since leaving the UFC, White has now introduced another perspective on the matter.

The 55-year-old claims that he lost interest in 'The Predator' after he was comprehensively outpointed by Derrick Lewis back in 2018.

Yet still, when Ngannou's meteoric rise culminated in a scintillating second-round stoppage over Stipe Miocic for the lineal heavyweight crown, one would suspect that White was ultimately rewarded for his investment.

But, even now, their fierce rivalry shows no signs of disappearing, with the pair still looking to take jibes at one another at any given moment.