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Published 14:35 IST, April 14th 2023

'He'll never be in the UFC again': Dana White's fierce answer on former champion's return

Dana White recently addressed the question regarding the comeback of Francis Ngannou and gave a strong answer. White is not impressed with Ngannou's stance.

Reported by: Prateek Arya
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Dana White shuts down UFC return of Francis Ngannou during Pat McAfee show
Image: AP | Image: self
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Dana White recently addressed the question regarding the comeback of Francis Ngannou and gave a strong answer. The UFC president is apparently not impressed with Ngannou turning down the promotion's every effort to get him on the card for a fight. The former UFC Heavyweight Champion will never be welcomed again in the UFC, as per White.

In a chat with Pat McAfee, Dana White was straight-up asked if Francis Ngannou's return to UFC is possible. The UFC chief gave a frank no as an answer. As per White, they did everything they could to bring The Preditor on board but failed in their endeavor. White further said, the "ship has sailed" and they are looking to bring Francis to agree to a deal now.  

"No. We worked with this guy [Francis Ngannou] for two years, we tried to get him a fight. He's absolutely impossible to deal with. He's - no, he'll never be in the UFC again. So, he made his decision - we worked hard, man. One of my guys, Hunter Campbell [Chief Business Officer], who works for me, must have done 75 dinners with his guy [Ngannou], trying to get him on board. We offered him a lot of money and showed him nothing but respect. We wanted to keep him, and that ship has sailed."

Francis Ngannou relinquishes; Jon Jones captures UFC Heavyweight Championship

Francis Ngannou has been one of UFC's most ferocious knockout agents in the past. He ended the reign of Stipe Miocic at UFC 260 and according to MMA fans was destined to carry the stature of the UFC Heavyweight Championship to a new level. He made his first defense against Ciryl Gane. Following the victory over Gane, the alarm of Jon Jones coming back to the scene was ringing. It might have been one of the dream matchups of all the fight fans, but it wasn't meant to take place at the Octagon since Ngannou relinquished his title. Jon Jones,m though made his comeback after three years and captured the gold against Ciryl Gane at UFC 285.  Ciryl Gane is currently a free agent not bound by any promotion. However, as per reports he is set to explore the boxing circuit.

14:27 IST, April 14th 2023