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Francis Ngannou is perhaps the biggest star in MMA’s heavyweight division.
The Cameroonian is a former UFC heavyweight champ who posses incredible knockout power and the charisma to go along with it.
But there’s just one major problem for UFC president Dana White. Ngannou packed his things and left went he felt White and UFC were not offering him a fair contract.
The superstar since signed a big-money deal with the upstart PFL, and White doesn’t seem all too happy about it.
“Based on what I know about the deal, which is not much, it makes no sense to me,” White said via MMA Junkie. “You’re going to pay the guy not to fight for a year and it’s already been like 18 months. He’s fought three times in the last three years. It’s just not what we do here. It’s not what we do. The day that we released him, I knew exactly what was going to happen.”
He then went on to double down on those comments.
“I don’t think that he’s afraid of anybody,” White said. “It’s just the fact that he doesn’t want to take any risk. PFL is going to pay this guy to train for a boxing match that may not even happen and they may not even be involved in. How does that make any sense? It doesn’t make sense to me.”
But Ngannou wasn’t having it.
The superstar took to Twitter and fired back with a series of tweets asking questions of White.
3. The reason I fought three times in three years is because you wanted to control my deal and signs a new one. And freeze me out. “I owe these guys three fights a year.” Isn’t that what you say? What happened? I always asked for & never said no to any fight in the 3 years
— Francis Ngannou (@francis_ngannou) May 21, 2023
Who really is scared? Jon, me … or you? $$$$
Make up your mind 🤔🤫 pic.twitter.com/d0FurJOHgH
— Francis Ngannou (@francis_ngannou) May 21, 2023
“What is your problem with me,” he began. “1. I completed my contract, was a free agent, and chose to walk away. you didn’t release me 2. I hate taking risks? that’s why I defended my title to fulfill my contract with no acl or mcl?”
But he didn’t stop there.
Ngannou also addressed why he didn’t fight often at the end of his UFC contract.
“The reason I fought three times in three years is because you wanted to control my deal and signs a new one. And freeze me out,” he said. “’I owe these guys three fights a year.’ Isn’t that what you say? What happened? I always asked for & never said no to any fight in the 3 years.”