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Dana White confirms Francis Ngannou will not return to the UFC.
American businessman and president of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) Dana White has offered an update on the heavyweight division.
White has dashed the hopes of Cameroonian-French professional mixed martial artist Francis Ngannou returning to the UFC.
Ngannou was stripped of the UFC heavyweight title as he was unable to reach an agreement with White to extend his contract.
White decided to let Ngannou as a free agent and made the UFC heavyweight title vacant.
Ngannou since leaving the UFC has stated that he intends to take on the best heavyweight boxers such as Deontay Wilder, Tyson Fury, and Anthony Joshua.
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White on Ngannou's possible return
The negotiations between Ngannou and the UFC reportedly broke down due to health insurance, sponsorships, and other benefits.
New Zealand professional mixed martial artist of Nigerian descent Israel Adesanya has hinted at the return of Ngannou in the future.
At a press conference, he said, "I think he'll come back he's the greatest heavyweight we've ever had um not not even just like in the UFC in history.
"You know he left on his own terms with the belt never lost it and yeah he is so I feel he's going to do what he has to do in boxing or wherever else."
Ngannou also said that a return to the UFC is still possible in the future after his boxing endeavors.
He said, “I don’t take any of this personal, any of this doesn’t touch me at all. You know, I think I have gotten to a point in my life where I’m cool, man. I get passed everything, I have seen a lot.
“One thing I have also learned in life is never say never. So, down the road, maybe I go out there have a boxing match, it went well or not, but one thing that I know is that even in that situation it has to be on my terms.”
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White, however, dismissed the potential return to Ngannou ahead of the showdown between American professional mixed martial artist Jonathan Jones and French professional mixed martial artist Ciryl Gane.
Speaking to ESPN in Las Vegas, he said, “No. We negotiated with him for years. It’s over, that’s over. He’ll never be in the UFC again.”
“Yeah, I never say never, but I’ll give you a never on that one. We tried.”
Ngannou is reportedly in advanced negotiations to take on Wilder in his first boxing match scheduled for Saudi Arabia.
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