UFC CEO Dana White had to be stopped from cutting Francis Ngannou from the UFC back in 2018.
That’s what the UFC boss said on Thursday following the latest Power Slap event in Abu Dhabi.
“Francis is all about the money. Francis left because he knew that if he fought Jon Jones and didn’t win it would hurt his chances of making the money that he wanted to make,” White told reporters
“Realistically his deal was bigger here. His deal was bigger here if he stayed in the UFC. They can deny it all they want. Why the f*ck would I lie? It doesn’t matter to me one way or the other.”
Ngannou (18-3) left the UFC after unifying his heavyweight title with Cyril Gane’s interim belt. He ended up signing a deal with the PFL which included an open door for him to go into boxing. His two-fight boxing run saw him drop fights against Tyson Fury and Anthony Joshua.
He made his MMA return last weekend at PFL Super Fights: Battle Of The Giants where he defeated Renan Ferreira via R1 KO. He may not have made it that far if White had his way back in 2018.
“I was going to cut Francis when he lost two in a row. I was going to cut him. Somebody around here begged me not to do it. There’s a much deeper story to this whole thing and he would have made more money if he stayed with the UFC,” he said.
“He didn’t want to fight Jon Jones, that’s a fact, and we’re moving on.”
Moving on with a three-way heavyweight title picture with current champ Jones, former champ Stipe Moicic, and current interim champ Tom Aspinall.
“Everybody loves Tom Aspinall and wants to see Jones and Aspinall, or Stipe and Aspinall,” he said.
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