It has been over a year since former UFC heavyweight champion Francis Ngannou parted ways with the Ultimate Fighting Championship, citing “freedom over money” as his reason. However, this farewell did not end on good terms with the promotion’s head honcho, Dana White, creating a significant line of animosity between them—a tension that has only grown over time. This hostility seemed to reach a new peak earlier this month when Ngannou, who recently re-entered the MMA scene with PFL, caught White’s attention.

During a media presser, Dana White, already dismissive of Ngannou’s intentions termed his intentions as “all about money”. The backlash from the MMA community was swift, with several personalities, including former UFC welterweight Ben Askren, openly sharing their opinions on the matter.

Ben Askren reminds Dana White of his reputation

At the UFC 308 post-fight press conference yesterday, when a reporter asked about Francis Ngannou and his recent performance at PFL’s extravaganza in Saudi Arabia, UFC CEO Dana White took the opportunity to criticize ‘The Predator’s reputation and past statements regarding financial disputes.

White responded, “When have you ever heard a story in all the years we’ve been in this business, even when it was upside down, where we owed someone money? Never happened. So, he’s full of s**t there. And then, I lost? I didn’t lose anything… Actually, he owes me money.”

Hearing Dana White’s harsh remarks, especially given that Francis Ngannou is no longer with the UFC, Ben Askren voiced his disapproval. Retweeting an MMA Fighting clip of White’s statement, Askren offered a pointed response, writing, “For all of his great qualities, I don’t see why Dana needs to sh-t people who are not under the UFC banner. It’s really unnecessary and petty.”

Former ONE welterweight champion Ben Askren, who spent his prime competing in Bellator and ONE Championship, achieved widespread fame before finally getting his long-awaited shot in the UFC in 2018. He joined the UFC as part of an exchange agreement for former flyweight king Demetrious Johnson, fulfilling a personal dream.

However, after only one fight, injuries began to take a toll, and his UFC run ended after just two more bouts that same year. Although he does not harbor much animosity toward Dana White, a rift from the past resurfaced earlier this year.

Ben Askren critiques White for missing the opportunity to sign him at his best

For the longest time, Ben Askren was regarded as the second-best welterweight in the world after incumbent UFC champion Georges St-Pierre. His impressive stats reflect a glorious decade in which he faced no setbacks, boasting an 18-fight winning streak without a single loss before joining the UFC. However, a lingering itch remained in his heart; he never got the chance to fight on the world’s biggest mixed martial arts stage, the UFC, at the peak of his career.

At 35, during the twilight of his career, Askren finally received the opportunity to compete in the Dana White-led promotion. Unfortunately, due to his age, he was only able to secure one win in three fights, which raised eyebrows about why Askren had not tried to contact Dana White sooner. In fact, he did reach out back in 2013 when he was 12-0, but that meeting did not end positively.

Back in January, while speaking to Daniel Cormier, Askren recalled the meeting he had with White, stating, “Actually, we went to that meeting together. That Monday after [Alexander] Gustafsson vs. [Jon] Jones. You and I and Bob went to [Las] Vegas together. I didn’t get an offer; I got sent home without a contract… Dana would blackball you. If he didn’t like you, he’d try to get rid of you.”

What are your thoughts on Ben Askren’s remarks? Do you agree with his perspective? Years have passed since Francis Ngannou’s departure, and it’s time for Dana White to move on from these trivial comments. What’s your opinion? Drop it below.