Ngannou Shades Dana White Following His Boxing Debut – ‘I Can’t Be Anybody’s Puppet’
In some of today’s MMA news, Francis Ngannou had a slight dig at Dana White in the aftermath of his boxing debut against Tyson Fury.
The former UFC heavyweight champion is not on the best of terms with White as contract talks between the pair broke down, which led to Ngannou’s departure from the UFC.
White Vs. Ngannou
Despite a reported $8 million offer being given to Ngannou, it appeared that the contract had many issues which troubled the MMA fighter.
The fighter was vocal about how the contract would have restricted his independence, as Ngannou ended up signing with the PFL.
“In that contract, I’m not free. I’m not an independent contractor. I have no rights. I hand over all the power to you guys. I’ve seen in the past how you guys can utilize your power against me, and I don’t want that,” Ngannou said
After Ngannou’s exit, however, White made it clear in no uncertain terms that the UFC would never work with him again. That naturally was a blow, given that it ruled out a potential super fight with Jon Jones.
“No. We negotiated with him for years. It’s over, that’s over. He’ll never be in the UFC again. … I never say never, but I’ll give you a never on that one. We tried,” White stated
Ultimately, Ngannou would end up signing a lucrative PFL deal which gave him the option to box and secure the highest payday of his career. With that being said, Ngannou had little time for what White may have thought about his fight with Fury.
Ngannou Shades White
“Who cares, Dana White feels what Dana White feels. I feel what I feel (and) personally I feel great. You have to send him an invite so you can ask him, I’d like to know, too… You have to understand Dana has power over a lot of fighters. A lot of them are just there to please the boss, a lot of them don’t have their own personality, their own identity so they just want to fit in on something and you can’t blame them. It takes a lost, it costs a lot to stand up and say what you think. Some people don’t just have it, and some people 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
The silence from White is understandable, given that the Saudi event was largely a success. And Ngannou’s performance has shown the PFL in a positive light.
After all, Conor McGregor and Nate Diaz’s attempts at crossover boxing were largely poor in comparison with Ngannou. And since those two were representing the UFC, it did not do the UFC any favors.
In addition, given that the PFL is a natural competitor of the UFC, White may simply be attempting to take away any attention from it.
Either way, White will no doubt be questioned about it moving forward. Find all the latest boxing news and MMA breaking updates on boxingblitz.
