To the loser belong the spoils?
Former UFC heavyweight champion Francis Ngannou may have come up short on the judges’ scorecards after a career performance against WBC titleholder Tyson Fury last weekend in Riyadh, but “The Predator” certainly prevailed in the court of public opinion.
I guess it wasn’t such a “waste of time, energy, and money” after all.
Long before the power-punching Cameroonian laced up the gloves in Saudi Arabia, UFC CEO Dana White spent several months trying to convince the combat sports community that Ngannou refused to re-sign with UFC because he wanted a career that involved “zero risks.”
A defiant Ngannou promised to prove White wrong in his Fury fight at Boulevard Hall then did exactly that, holding his own across 10 rounds while also dropping “The Gypsy King” in the waning moments of the third frame (watch those video highlights here).
So how does White feel after watching Ngannou shine in Riyadh?
“Who cares? Dana White feels like Dana White feels,” Ngannou told The MMA Hour. “I think you have to send him an invite so you can ask him. I would like to know, too. Why would I say something to him? I’m not sure [if he’s happy], because he’s been throwing little stones in my way. We know Dana is Dana, he says what Dana says, which most of the time doesn’t mean anything. Like a lesser fighter like Tyson Fury, right? That’s what I wanted. He was right.”
Ngannou vacated the UFC heavyweight title earlier this year after failing to come to terms on a new deal. “The Predator” wanted a contract that would allow him to pursue big-money fights in the “sweet science,” one of many sticking points that cost UFC Chief Business Officer Hunter Campbell at least 75 dinners.
Ngannou believes UFC was looking for another “puppet” — but the record-breaking striker wanted a business relationship with no strings attached.
“Dana has the power over a lot of fighters,” Ngannou continued. “A lot of them are just there to please the boss. A lot of them, they don’t have their own personality, their own identity, so they just want to fit in something and you can’t blame them. It costs a lot and it takes a lot to stand up and say what you think and some people just make themselves a puppet. It’s okay, but I can’t be anybody’s puppet. I’m too big for that. I’m too proud for that.”
Ngannou later signed with PFL MMA and is expected to make his “SmartCage” debut at some point in 2024.
White has yet to comment on Ngannou’s performance but you can expect that to be a topic of conversation when the UFC CEO faces the media after the UFC Sao Paulo MMA event this weekend at Ibirapuera Gymnasium in Brazil.