When former UFC heavyweight champion Francis Ngannou left the UFC at the height of his stardom, it caused a rumble through the combat sports world. In 2023, ‘The Predator’ departed from the promotion over contract disputes. The tension between him and UFC boss Dana White has seemingly grown since the former UFC fighter left the promotion to chase a high-paying boxing career, and White has never been shy about sharing his thoughts.

Since leaving the promotion, Ngannou has faced off against Tyson Fury and Anthony Joshua, both massive names in the world of boxing. But could he have secured a better payday if he would have stuck around in the UFC? With whispers of a $30 million-plus boxing purse for Ngannou floating around, White has something to say about it!

Dana White drops a massive bombshell about Francis Ngannou’s pay-day for Jon Jones fight

During a recent DWCS (Dana White Contender Series) post-fight press conference, White was asked why he hadn’t previously revealed that Ngannou was offered more money than his boxing matches to fight Jon Jones inside the cage.

In his trademark manner, the UFC boss stated, “Coz why? I don’t give a s–t. What’s the difference? Because I know all the s–t you people don’t know. And I don’t care what everybody says, doesn’t matter to me. But that’s a fact. He was offered more money. Coz I know, I know the real numbers. I know the real numbers.”

White’s claim that Ngannou would have made more money fighting Jon Jones than he could ever earn in boxing has certainly raised eyebrows. According to reports by Forbes, ‘The Predator’ secured a $10 million purse for his bout against Tyson Fury in 2023. His purse for the Joshua fight? A whopping $20 million!

But while Ngannou’s decision to leave the UFC was largely seen as a financial move by many, White insisted that there’s more to the story. The missed fight between Jon Jones and Francis Ngannou has haunted White, and it’s clear that he believes it’s a fight that should have happened. He further shared that the UFC matchmakers, “…would have done anything to make that fight. And he tried to. Yeah.”

What stopped the match from coming together? Could this be a case of Ngannou leaving a potential payday behind, or is there something more at play? Because, according to the former UFC heavyweight king, he wasn’t opposed to fighting Jon Jones!

Ngannou fires back at the UFC over claims of ‘ducking’ Jon Jones

Francis Ngannou is gearing up for his MMA return as he dons the gloves once again to take on Renan Ferreira in the PFL on October 19. However, with rumors surrounding the potential ‘superfight’ with Jon Jones continuing to swirl, Ngannou has come out to put those whispers to rest once and for all.

During a recent press conference to promote his PFL debut, Ngannou directly addressed UFC CEO Dana White’s claims that he didn’t want to fight Jones. White had stated more than once that the fight between the two powerhouses never materialized because Ngannou was avoiding it. Ngannou, however, has a different story to tell.

‘The Predator’ shared, “As far as I’m concerned, Jon Jones didn’t want to fight me, according to (the UFC). So many times we sat down to make the fight and they said, ‘Oh it can’t happen, Jon Jones doesn’t want to fight anymore.'” Ngannou didn’t mince words when discussing how the UFC handled those failed negotiations. “The guy who controls the narrative can say what he wants,” Ngannou remarked. But he stressed that he had requested the Jones fight multiple times. What he didn’t want, however, was to be locked into a new UFC deal he didn’t agree with.

Meanwhile, White remains adamant that Ngannou left millions on the table by walking away from the Jones fight. But the question remains, could we still see the clash of these two titans, or will their rivalry remain a tantalizing “what if”? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below!