When the Ford Escort-like figure of Francis Ngannou first darkened the UFC’s doorway, Dana White couldn’t contain his enthusiasm, painting verbal masterpieces of the Cameroonian’s devastating power. Remember the UFC 220 presser where the head honcho could not contain himself as he stated, “Francis Ngannou has the world record for the most powerful punch, his punch is equivalent to 96 horsepower which is equal to getting hit by a Ford Escort going as fast as it can. And it’s more powerful than a 12-pound sledgehammer swung full force from overhead. Holy s–t!”

The honeymoon, however, would prove as fleeting as one of Ngannou’s knockouts. The seismic shift in their relationship erupted into public view in early 2023 when contract negotiations crumbled into dust, but ‘The Predator’ recently unearthed the telling moments from the last of his 8 contracted bouts at UFC 270 that foreshadowed the former heavyweight champion’s exodus from the promotion. Following his unification fight triumph over former teammate Ciryl Gane, ‘The Predator’ noticed something amiss in the championship ritual. The customary crowning by White never materialized. Instead, the head honcho was absent during the belt presentation, having made a hasty exit from the arena.

“Something was clearly different that night,” Ngannou reflected on the atmosphere following his final Octagon appearance. “I think my victory wasn’t what was expected or wanted.”

“Dana wasn’t there at the end of the fight. No, he didn’t [put the belt on me],” Francis Ngannou told The Ring Podcast. “So, there wasn’t a chance that he said something. I think he was so p–sed. He was so upset about the result.”

The championship defense—achieved through wrestling owing to an MCL and ACL tear four weeks out from the fight was the final provocation in a relationship already strained by contractual demands and fighter autonomy discussions. Moreover, the opportunity to box against Tyson Fury as the UFC heavyweight champion proved to be the final nail in the coffin.

For the unversed, his ceremonial snub came after Ngannou’s remarkable resurrection from career purgatory. Once dismissed following his one-sided loss against Stipe Miocic at the aforementioned UFC 220 which was immediately followed by a disaster against Derrick Lewis at UFC 226. However, ‘The Predator’ finally silenced doubters with a thunderous six-fight obliteration of the heavyweight division’s elite.

Nevertheless, Ngannou did what he set out to achieve when he escaped poverty in Cameroon and fled to France, where he started his combat sports career. While he intended to become a boxer, which he did recently, ‘The Predator’ became an MMA world champion, and is now one of the most recognized combat sports athletes in the world.

“I wanted my entire life to become a world champion, I became a world champion… I didn’t want to change my principles because I’m the world champion, because of the system,” Francis Ngannou added. “I was fighting for something way bigger than a belt.”

Despite the successes outside the UFC, Dana White is still not convinced that Ngannou is as big of an athlete in status as he claims to be. The UFC CEO even went on a blistering rant on the former heavyweight champion and the way he appears in front of everybody.

Dana White once claimed Francis Ngannou is not a “good guy”

Last October, Francis Ngannou claimed that the UFC still owed him money for his fights against Stipe Miocic and Ciryl Gane, stating that he had yet to receive his back pay. “And which money he’s talking about? The money that he owes me. They say, oh, we’re going to pay you [back] the money that we owe you from the Stipe and Ciryl Gane fight. All that, they never [paid me back].”

“Now I have made more money than I would have ever made in the UFC. I would say maybe twice the money that I could have ever made in my entire UFC career if I had continued in the UFC.”

However, Dana White didn’t hold back in his response at the UFC 308 post-fight press conference, vehemently denying the allegations. Not only did the UFC CEO dismiss Ngannou’s claims, but he also aimed the way ‘The Predator’ presents himself to the public. In a sharp retort, White suggested that if anyone was owed money, it was him—referencing Ngannou’s forgettable performance against Lewis and implying that the former heavyweight champion should be the one handing back a refund for that lackluster bout.

“I lost? I didn’t lose anything, I was done with Francis – he actually owes me money because we had to watch that fight between him and the Black Beast. He should actually pay me back for that fight, and all of you,” said Dana White. “I was all about Francis in the beginning and then I found out who Francis was… Francis isn’t a good guy, he plays a good guy.”

It seems like there will be no more Francis Ngannou in the UFC since his relationship with Dana White seems to have been severed forever. But what do you think? Will these two personalities ever get on good terms? Drop your comments below.