Francis Ngannou is happy to prove the naysayers wrong – including UFC president Dana White.
Ngannou is set to face Tyson Fury in a 10-round heavyweight boxing match Oct. 28 in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Prior to the booking being, White tried to make a UFC fight between Fury and heavyweight champion Jon Jones.
Ngannou’s differences with the UFC boss started in 2018 after he lost back-to-back fights to Stipe Miocic and Derek Lewis. White was furious with Ngannou’s lackluster performance against Lewis, claiming that he thought he would be the next big thing, and that his ego ran away with him.
Ngannou would later go on a tear and become UFC heavyweight champion.
“For some reason, I always prove Dana White wrong, even when he’s on my side,” Ngannou told SiriusXM. “I always prove him wrong every single time. This is just our story. They were ready to do Jon Jones and Tyson Fury in MMA. Why they couldn’t do Ngannou and Fury in boxing?
“I think that was just to take the fight away from me, and they even sent out a contract, which I think was very embarrassing because that contract was rejected, and they signed mine for the GIMIK Fight Promotions.”
When Ngannou opted not to re-sign a long-term extension with the UFC by reportedly turning down a deal that would have made him the highest paid heavyweight in company history, White said Ngannou will never return to the octagon. Ngannou isn’t surprised by White’s comments or anyone else who questioned his decision to leave the UFC.
“It’s not a secret that so many people wanted me to fail,” Ngannou said. “They don’t want me to succeed. It’s not a secret. It’s quite obvious, and you all know about it.”
For more on the matchup, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for Fury vs. Ngannou.
