The MMA community continues to dissect Dana White’s allegations about Francis Ngannou. Now, former UFC heavyweight contender Brendan Schaub has weighed in with a perspective that challenges the narrative while providing context about the UFC’s internal culture.
White recently claimed that Ngannou physically grabbed him and executive Hunter Campbell during contract negotiations, describing a confrontation where the former heavyweight champion allegedly pushed the UFC CEO back into his office and grabbed Campbell by the collar. These allegations have sparked intense debate across the combat sports world about what really transpired behind closed doors.
Schaub, who hosts his own podcast and has experience dealing with UFC management during his combat career, offered a nuanced take that neither fully endorses nor completely dismisses White’s account.
“Listen, Dana calling Francis Ngannou a ‘bad guy,’ it’s a spade calling a spade, right? So, I don’t think Dana’s a bad guy. I don’t think Francis is a bad guy,” Schaub said in a recent podcast episode.
He continued: “But, I’ll say this. I’m not defending putting your hands on anybody or stuff like that. But I will say that over the entire course of the UFC, as long as it has been around… there are no bigger bullies, depends on what your definition of bullying is, there’s no bigger bullies than the UFC brass.”
The former heavyweight then drew from his personal experience to illustrate his point about the treatment contenders receive from management. “The disrespect, behind the scenes, to managers, to fighters directly, including myself. The texts I got from UFC brass, after a fight, would make anybody upset,” Schaub revealed.
He continued: “It would blow your mind. The way they talk to these fighters, they talk to these fighters like they own them, like they’re property.”
His commentary suggests that any potential confrontation didn’t occur in a vacuum, but rather as part of a larger pattern of interaction between the promotion’s leadership and its athletes. Schaub explained that when professional MMA stars feel disrespected, their responses may differ from those in traditional business settings.
“When the toughest men on the planet, who fight for a living, feel disrespected, their way of communicating is through physical action and this is a by-product of that,” he stated.
Kamaru Usman, the former UFC welterweight champion, also expressed doubts about how the incident allegedly unfolded. Speaking on the Pound 4 Pound podcast with Henry Cejudo, Usman painted a skeptical picture of the scenario White described.
“Listen, I wasn’t there, but I don’t think this happened like this,” Usman stated, before imagining how the confrontation would have played out according to White’s version: “It’s hard to believe to Dana… It’s hard to believe to you to go, get back in your office, Dana. What? Get out your checkbook. Give me 50K. You and then, oh, Hunter, you leaving? Get back here, Hunter. We’re not done talking.”
The Nigerian Nightmare pointed to the distinct reputations both men carry. “Francis has this aura there, this aura around Francis to where you just know, okay, I can’t f**k around here,” Usman explained, while acknowledging that White commands his own type of respect as UFC president.
Usman carefully qualified his skepticism, saying: “I’m not saying that’s false. I’m just saying it might have not went down the way that that quote sounded like.”
Schaub concluded his thoughts by acknowledging the complex reality of professional sports at the highest level. “This is the underbelly of professional sports, this is the underbelly of professional cage fighting at the highest level. You’re dealing with the toughest people in the world. You’re also dealing with the most cutthroat business owners in the world. I’m not condoning what Francis did, but you reap what you sow.”
The controversy stems from Ngannou’s departure from the UFC following his title defense against Ciryl Gane. The Cameroonian heavyweight left to join the PFL, where he secured better contractual terms including the ability to pursue boxing opportunities—something he had reportedly sought from the UFC during negotiations.
White’s decision to publicly share these allegations years after the alleged incidents has raised questions about timing and motivation, particularly as Ngannou has found success outside the organization.
