Francis Ngannou has always found it baffling that UFC President Dana White seemed eager to undermine him on his departure from the promotion. The former UFC heavyweight champion, now set to step into the boxing ring against Tyson Fury this autumn, asserts he’s only ever surpassed his ex-boss’s expectations.
“It seems I never fail to disprove Dana White – even when he backs me,” Ngannou shared with SiriusXM. “I’ve disproven him time and again. That’s just our history.”
On Tuesday, news broke out that Ngannou is slated to challenge Fury in a 10-round professional boxing match on October 28 in Saudi Arabia. MMA Hook first disclosed that the bout’s results will be recorded in both fighters’ professional records, albeit Fury’s WBC title will not be at stake.
Ngannou was cognizant of White’s intent to invite Fury to the UFC for an MMA bout against Jon Jones, a move that puzzled the recent PFL recruit on multiple fronts.
“White was all set to have Jon Jones and Tyson Fury face off in MMA – why couldn’t he arrange a boxing match between Fury and me? I’m clueless,” stated Ngannou. “I reckon he made that move to snatch the fight from me, and Dana did circulate a contract [for the Jones fight]. That contract, which I find quite embarrassing, was turned down while mine was accepted by the GIMIK Fight Promotions.”
Despite several people within the UFC and a section of the MMA community claiming Ngannou erred in leaving the UFC and abandoning a lucrative fight with Jones, Ngannou finds amusement in the detractors’ comments.
“It’s no secret that numerous individuals hoped for my downfall,” said Ngannou. “They didn’t wish for my success, it’s hardly a secret, it’s blatantly obvious, and everyone is aware of it.”
More about Francis Ngannou vs Tyson Fury
- Francis Ngannou’s career highlights
- Tyson Fury’s boxing career
- Dana White’s history with UFC
- UFC’s plan for Tyson Fury
- MMA Hook’s coverage of the Ngannou-Fury match
3 comments
Whites been playin’ all along. Wanted Jones v Fury in the UFC, now hes gotta eat crow with Ngannou v Fury in the ring haha.
Didnt see that one coming. Ngannou was always an interesting guy in UFC, will he make it in boxing tho? time will tell!
Seriously? a MMA guy going into boxing? i’ll believe it when i see it. Fury’s gonna destroy him!