UFC CEO Dana White has shared a startling account of a backstage altercation with former heavyweight champion Francis Ngannou, revealing that the Cameroonian fighter once physically grabbed him during a heated dispute over bonuses.
In a candid discussion on the FLAGRANT Podcast, White pulled back the curtain on his tumultuous relationship with former heavyweight champion Francis Ngannou, claiming the fighter’s public persona doesn’t match the person he encountered behind closed doors.
“Francis Ngannou is a bad guy. He’s not a good guy,” White stated bluntly. “He plays the whole, I don’t understand the language, and he tries to come off like he’s a f**king nice guy, you know what I mean? And people go, oh, the language barrier probably. No, there’s no f**king language barrier with this guy.”
The UFC chief recounted an incident that occurred before Ngannou’s bout with Stipe Miocic in Boston. According to White, after a press conference, Ngannou approached him in a hallway and made demands about his travel arrangements.
“He grabs me, and he says, let me tell you what’s going to happen. His English is f**king great, okay? No language barrier whatsoever. When this fight’s over, you’re going to book me a private plane to Paris,” White recalled.
White said he laughed off the request, but Ngannou insisted he wasn’t joking. That conversation, however, became moot when Miocic defeated Ngannou. “Stipe Miocic beats the f**k up. So that ended that whole conversation,” White said.
The more serious incident occurred later, when Ngannou came to White’s office upset about not receiving a $50,000 performance bonus after one of his appearances. White explained the rationale for the decision, detailing which other competitors had earned bonuses and why.
“This is why the conversation is over. I’m starting to leave. And he grabs me by my shirt and like pushes me back in my office,” White revealed.
The UFC president’s response was immediate and direct: “And I said, dude, get your f**king hands off me.”
White indicated that he had reservations about Ngannou early in the fighter’s UFC career. “I wanted to cut him early. And two of my matchmaker guys were like, oh, no, you don’t understand. I said, guys, let me tell you a story. When somebody shows you who they are, believe them. Believe them. And this guy has shown.”
The disclosure adds another layer to the already complicated history between White and Ngannou, who departed the UFC in 2023 after his contract expired amid disputes over compensation and contractual terms.
Ngannou has since competed in boxing and signed with the PFL, where he’s pursued opportunities that allow him greater control over his career.
