Francis Ngannou has shown that he is not afraid to stand up for what he believes in when it comes to his career in the UFC. Recently, he made a significant decision that could change the course of his journey.
When Dana White offered Ngannou a contract to continue with the UFC, the heavyweight champion declined the deal.
He felt that he would be tied to the organization for an extended period and that he would not be fairly compensated for his services. Furthermore, he advocated for better rights and perks for fellow MMA stars, but his requests were not met by Dana White.
Ngannou’s rejection of the UFC’s offer was a bold move, but it seems to have paid off for him. Speaking to Sirius XM, Ngannou expressed his satisfaction with his decision and how he always manages to prove Dana White wrong, even when they seemingly agree on something.
“For some reason, I always prove Dana White wrong – even when he’s on my side. I always prove him wrong, every single time. This is just our story. They were ready to do Jon Jones and Tyson Fury in MMA – why couldn’t they do Ngannou and Fury in boxing?”
“I don’t know. I think [he] did that to try to take the fight away from me, and Dana did sent out a contract [for the Jones exhibition]. He sent out the contract, which I think was very embarrassing because that contract was rejected, and he signed mine for the GIMIK Fight Promotions. It’s not a secret that so many people wanted me to fail. They don’t want me to succeed, it’s not a secret, it’s quite obvious, and you all know about it.”
Dana White’s reaction to Ngannou’s decision is quite telling. While he initially expressed openness to make a Jones vs. Fury exhibition happen, he seemed to dismiss the idea of Ngannou boxing Fury, which raises questions about the UFC’s priorities and treatment of its stars.