White Shoots Down Jones Vs. Ngannou: 'Francis Is A Bad Guy'

Dana White has ruled out bringing Francis Ngannou back to fight Jon Jones.

The UFC president appeared on Nightcap this week and dismissed the possibility of booking the former heavyweight champion against Jones, reviving his long-standing criticism of Ngannou. "Ngannou is on my Oscar De La Hoya list," White said, per MMA Mania. "Look at the history of Francis Ngannou and the other companies he's been with. He's a bad guy, man. He's a bad guy, and I'm at a point in my life where I just don't want to do business with bad guys, you know what I mean? I just don't."

Ngannou Left UFC In 2022 Over Contract Dispute

Ngannou walked away from the UFC in early 2022 with the heavyweight belt still in his possession after beating Ciryl Gane. He rejected multiple renewal offers from the promotion, citing one-sided contract terms. The UFC waived its exclusive negotiation period and publicly labelled him difficult to work with.

White has never detailed the specific incidents that earned Ngannou his "bad guy" label, though he has suggested Ngannou used his physical presence to intimidate UFC staff during contract talks and alluded to a physical confrontation. Ngannou has denied any such behaviour.

Since leaving the UFC, Ngannou has competed in two high-profile boxing matches and two PFL fights. He recently signed with Jake Paul's MVP promotion, where he is expected to headline marquee events as the company builds its MMA roster.

Reported via:

• MMA Mania — Dana White shoots down Ngannou vs. Jones (again): ‘Francis is a bad guy’