UFC president Dana White has taken his long-running feud with Francis Ngannou to a new level, alleging for the first time that the former heavyweight champion physically grabbed him and UFC chief business officer Hunter Campbell during heated behind-the-scenes confrontations.
The allegations surfaced during White’s appearance on Andrew Schulz’s Flagrant podcast, where he expanded on his long-held claim that Ngannou’s public persona doesn’t reflect how he behaves privately. White didn’t mince words at all when it came to Francis Ngannou.
“Everybody has this thing about Francis… ‘he’s a nice guy,’” White said. “No, there’s no f*cking language barrier with this guy. He’s a bad guy.”
White and Ngannou’s relationship publicly fractured after UFC 270, when Ngannou unified the heavyweight title but declined to re-sign with the UFC, insisting on contract freedoms that would allow him to box. The UFC refused and Ngannou walked, later signing with PFL and securing boxing megafights with Tyson Fury and Anthony Joshua.
Still, White had never detailed the behind-the-scenes moments that soured their relationship… until now.
Incident No. 1: “Book Me a Private Plane to Paris”
White recalled a tense moment before Ngannou’s first fight with Stipe Miocic at UFC 220 in Boston.
“We’re walking down this hallway and he comes over to me, grabs me, and says, ‘Let me tell you what’s gonna happen… When this fight’s over, you’re gonna book me a private plane to Paris.’”
White said he laughed off the demand and that when Stipe “beat the fcking sht out of him,” the issue vanished. But to White, it was the first clue.
“When someone shows you who they are, believe ’em.”
Incident No. 2: “Dude, Get Your F*cking Hands Off Me”
White then described a second confrontation, this time inside his office at the UFC Performance Institute. Ngannou was upset about not receiving a $50K bonus after a victory.
“He comes up to my office… He’s pissed he didn’t get a bonus. I explain why. The conversation’s over, I start to leave and he grabs me by my shirt and pushes me back in my office.”
“I said, ‘Dude, get your f*cking hands off me.’”
White claims Ngannou did the same thing to Hunter Campbell during a separate discussion:
“Hunter started to walk away, and Francis grabs him by the back of his collar and pulls him back ‘We’re not done talking yet.’”
The fight White alluded to was likely Ngannou’s 2019 win over Cain Velasquez, one of the rare UFC victories where Ngannou did not receive a post-fight bonus.
Ngannou’s Post-UFC Path and More Criticism
Since leaving the UFC in 2022, Ngannou:
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Signed with PFL
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Became chairman of PFL Africa
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Boxed Tyson Fury and Anthony Joshua
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Returned to MMA only once, knocking out Renan Ferreira
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Experienced major personal tragedy, slowing his activity
Recently, PFL CEO Donn Davis expressed frustration that Ngannou didn’t attend a PFL Africa-branded event a point White seized on.
“I’m sure they wish they never f*cking signed him,” White said. “I know who he really is.”
Ngannou has consistently maintained that White’s resentment stems from losing a contractual power struggle and from Ngannou proving he could thrive outside the UFC system.
The Feud Isn’t Ending Anytime Soon
Ngannou has repeatedly teased a future clash with Jon Jones, saying it’s the fight fans deserve. White says he’s unmoved.
For years, both sides have hinted at things left unsaid. Now, White is saying them and the gap between the UFC president and the former heavyweight champion seems wider than ever.
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Robert LaMar is a writer for Dice City Sports. You can follow him on X via @RobertLaMar26
