Dana White criticizes Ngannou’s decision to leave UFC: ‘It’s all about the money’

Francis Ngannou’s rise after the UFC is comparable to that of Ronda Rousey or Conor McGregor. While he isn’t necessarily a household name like her, he has reached similar heights and competes for eight-figure salaries in other promotions.

Still, Ngannou’s former UFC boss Dana White insists he left a lot open when he parted ways with the promotion, perhaps even more than he’s accomplished since. When asked about Ngannou’s successful PFL debut, White disparaged his decision-making and accused him of ducking Jon Jones in the UFC.

“Francis is all about the money,” White said at the event Power slap presser on October 24th. “Francis left because he knew that if he fought Jon Jones and didn’t win, it would hurt his chances of making the money he wanted to make.”

“Realistically, his business was bigger here [in the UFC] …They can deny all they want, why the hell should I lie? … There’s a much deeper story behind this whole thing and he would have made more money if he had stayed in the UFC.”

It’s entirely possible that White is comparing Ngannou’s current PFL deal to the hypothetical future he had in the UFC. Nevertheless, Ngannou had tremendous success after leaving the promotion.

Ngannou’s last recorded payout in the UFC was $600,000 for his heavyweight title defense against Ciryl Gane. In recent negotiations, he was reportedly offered $8 million to fight Jones before calling the offer a “trick” and resigning from the promotion.

In an unprecedented move, Ngannou secured a fight in Riyadh against then lineal heavyweight boxing champion Tyson Fury. He reportedly secured $10 million in prize money for the fight, in which he caused Fury to a split decision. Ngannou confirmed that his budget for the fight against Fury exceeded his total career earnings in the UFC.

“I haven’t made this much in my entire UFC career,” Ngannou said The MMA lesson. “But yes, if we count, definitely [making more money in boxing debut than combined 14-fight UFC career].”

After his value skyrocketed, Ngannou took on Anthony Joshua in another heavyweight superfight. Ngannou’s purse for the fight was reportedly over $10 million. Joshua knocked him out in the second round.

Ngannou’s PFL deal

When Ngannou returned to MMA, he signed a contract with the second largest MMA promotion, PFL. He confirmed that his opponents will receive a guaranteed prize of $2 million to fight him. “I get a little more than that,” Ngannou explained (h/t MMA Fighting ). He also received shares in the company and will serve as chairman for PFL Africa.

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