Tag: Francis Ngannou

Dana White says he wanted to cut Francis Ngannou from UFC in 2018 but was ‘begged’ not to

Dana White says he wanted the UFC to cut Francis Ngannou in 2018, two years before he became heavyweight champion.

ABU DHABI – It appears [autotag]Francis Ngannou[/autotag]’s return to MMA didn’t change [autotag]Dana White[/autotag]’s mind about his departure from the UFC.

Days after Ngannou (18-3) pounded out Renan Ferreira (13-4) at PFL: Battle of the Giants, White was asked his impressions of the fight during a Power Slap 9 post-event press conference Thursday.

“(His performance) was better than Donn Davis’ – way better,” White said with a laugh when speaking to MMA Junkie and other reporters. “Listen, man, I’m going to tell you what I think about Francis: Francis is all about the money. Francis left because he knew if he fought Jon Jones and didn’t win, it would hurt his chances of making the money he wanted to make. But realistically his deal was bigger here. His deal was bigger here if he stayed in the UFC. I think I told this story a million times. They can deny it all they want. Why the f*ck would I lie? What do I care? It doesn’t matter to me one way or the other.”

While White’s claims of Ngannou leaving the UFC to avoid fighting Jon Jones are nothing new, the UFC CEO mentioned an additional detail. White said that, after Ngannou suffered consecutive losses to Stipe Miocic and Derrick Lewis in 2018, he wanted to cut the future UFC heavyweight champion.

“I was going to cut Francis when he lost two in a row,” White said. “I was going to cut him. Somebody around here begged me not to do it. It wouldn’t have mattered to me one way or the other. There’s a much deeper story to this whole thing. He would’ve made more money if he would’ve stayed in the UFC. He didn’t want to fight Jon Jones. That’s a fact, my friend. We’re moving on.”

Ngannou’s 2023 departure from the UFC was an unprecedented move, as he vacated the promotion’s heavyweight title to venture into free agency. Ngannou competed in lucrative boxing crossover fights vs. Tyson Fury and Anthony Joshua before his MMA return Saturday in Saudi Arabia.

Ngannou has disputed White’s claims that he would’ve been paid more had he stayed, even going as far as to say he would provide the numbers if need be. White has remained unwavering in his counterclaims, however.

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USA TODAY Sports/MMA Junkie rankings, Oct. 22: Francis Ngannou claims heavyweight throne

Check out the latest USA TODAY Sports/MMA Junkie rankings following PFL: Battle of the Giants and UFC Fight Night 245.

PFL: Battle of the Giants and UFC Fight Night 245 each had their impacts on divisional rankings.

In PFL’s main event, former UFC heavyweight champion [autotag]Francis Ngannou[/autotag], who never lost his title, returned to MMA and took out [autotag]Renan Ferreira[/autotag] in short order with a brutal knockout.

As a result Ngannou shifts into the No. 1 heavyweight slot. He was previously at No. 2. He also moves into No. 3 in the pound-for-pound rankings.

Also, [autotag]Anthony Hernandez[/autotag] took once step closer to middleweight title contention as he dominated [autotag]Michel Pereira[/autotag] before a late-fight TKO finish.

Hernandez enters the rankings at No. 13.

Across the two cards, [autotag]Paul Hughes[/autotag], Raufeon Stots, Asu Almabayev, and Charles Johnson also picked up impactful victories. Each resulted in a bump-up in the rankings.

Check out all the latest pound-for-pound and divisional USA TODAY Sports/MMA Junkie rankings.

Overreaction Time: Jones vs. Ngannou WILL happen, UFC rankings useless, Sean O’Malley a fraud, more!

Check out the first episode of “Overreaction Time” as host Simon Samano and Farah Hannoun debate an array of topics in MMA.

The time for overreacting is here!

Check out the first episode of “Overreaction Time” as host Simon Samano and MMA Junkie reporter Farah Hannoun debate these “overreactions” on the following topics in mixed martial arts:

  • Make no mistake: [autotag]Francis Ngannou[/autotag] is the No. 1 heavyweight in the world.
  • Because the UFC can’t say no to money, we WILL get Francis Ngannou vs. [autotag]Jon Jones[/autotag] next year.
  • [autotag]Ilia Topuria[/autotag] vs. [autotag]Max Holloway[/autotag] is the best UFC fight for the rest of the year.
  • The UFC should just get rid of the official rankings altogether.
  • [autotag]Sean O’Malley[/autotag] getting an immediate title rematch would be ridiculous.
  • Sean O’Malley was a fraudulent UFC champion.
  • [autotag]Jamahal Hill[/autotag] needs to keep [autotag]Alex Pereira[/autotag]’s name out of his mouth.
  • The UFC would be foolish not to book [autotag]Conor McGregor[/autotag] vs. [autotag]Jorge Masvidal[/autotag] early next year.

Watch the full episode in the video above.

Eric Nicksick: Cristiano Ronaldo felt like ‘part of the team’ in Francis Ngannou’s locker room before PFL title win

Francis Ngannou had a sporting icon in his locker room ahead of his MMA return.

RIYADH, Saudi Arabia – [autotag]Francis Ngannou[/autotag] had a sport’s icon in his locker room ahead of his MMA return.

Ngannou (18-3) claimed the inaugural superfight heavyweight title by knocking out Renan Ferreira (13-4) in the first round of Saturday’s PFL: Battle of the Giants main event.

Prior to making the walk, Ngannou had [autotag]Cristiano Ronaldo[/autotag] in his locker room. Eric Nicksick says the soccer icon provided Ngannou some comfort and support after going through a similar traumatic experience.

“He’s super down to earth, super cool guy, and he’s actually a huge fight fan,” Nicksick told MMA Junkie. “He had a bunch of questions. He was talking to me about Strickland, he was talking to me about this and whatever fight it was. At one point Francis got up to wrap his hands and Ronaldo was talking about that he could feel Francis’ energy and he’s like, ‘I’m going to give him words of encouragement.’

“He was talking about the loss of one of his children and how he related to things like that. It was pretty cool. I know how big of a star he is, but him sitting next to me and having this very personal conversation – he felt like he was a part of the team right then and there. His son was in there with us and hanging out. It was very much a welcomed energy to have in the room, especially with someone of that stature that understands the highest of pressure. It was cool. He was a great guy. Very down to earth. Very cool.”

Ronaldo, widely regarded as one of the greatest soccer players of all time and most well-known celebrities in the world, has been a longtime MMA fan, previously hanging out with the likes of UFC superstar Conor McGregor.

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For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for PFL: Battle of the Giants.

Video: Now back in MMA, is Francis Ngannou the best heavyweight today?

Francis Ngannou certainly made a statement in his return to MMA at PFL: Battle of the Giants. We discuss on “Spinning Back Clique.”

[autotag]Francis Ngannou[/autotag] reminded the MMA world he’s still a dangerous man.

After more than two years away from the sport, the former UFC heavyweight champion returned to the cage this past Saturday in the main event of PFL: Battle of the Giants, where he stopped [autotag]Renan Ferreira[/autotag] in the first round of their contest. Remember, although out of the UFC, Ngannou left as champion. His successful comeback certainly makes things interesting, not only for the PFL, but for the heavyweight landscape in general.

So, is it safe to say that Ngannou is still the beat heavyweight in MMA today? What should be next for him?

MMA Junkie’s Brian “Goze” Garcia, Dan Tom, Mike Bohn, Danny Segura, and host “Gorgeous” George react to Ngannou’s big win in his PFL debut.  

Watch their discussion in the video above, and don’t miss this week’s complete episode of “Spinning Back Clique” below on YouTube.

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https://youtube.com/live/cbzHrkO75mA

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Spinning Back Clique REPLAY: Francis Ngannou dominates, UFC 308: Topuria vs. Holloway preview, more

On “Spinning Back Clique,” our panel discusses Francis Ngannou’s successful MMA, the upcoming UFC 308 event, and much more.

Check out this week’s “Spinning Back Clique,” MMA Junkie’s weekly live show that takes a spin through the biggest topics in mixed martial arts.

This week’s panel of Brian “Goze” Garcia, Mike Bohn and Danny Segura will join host “Gorgeous” George Garcia live at noon ET (9 a.m. PT) to discuss and debate the following topics:

  • [autotag]Francis Ngannou[/autotag] reminded the MMA world why he’s one of the most terrifying fighters to ever set foot in the cage. This past Saturday, the former UFC heavyweight champion viciously stopped [autotag]Renan Ferreira[/autotag] in the main event of PFL: Battle of the Giants in Saudi Arabia. It was a big win that shook up the heavyweight landscape. Now that he’s back in MMA, can we say Ngannou remains the “Baddest Man on the Planet”? What should be next for Ngannou? We discuss.
  • Ngannou’s TKO win wasn’t the only thing that made headlines at PFL: Battle of the Giants. Women’s MMA legend [autotag]Cris Cyborg[/autotag] picked up a decision win over former PFL champion [autotag]Larissa Pacheco[/autotag], [autotag]Johnny Eblen[/autotag] defended his Bellator belt in a rematch against [autotag]Fabian Edwards[/autotag], and [autotag]Paul Hughes[/autotag] pulled off an upset by defeating [autotag]A.J. McKee[/autotag], among other things. We react to some of the key results on PFL’s pay-per-view event.
  • Over in the UFC side of things, [autotag]Anthony Hernandez[/autotag] dominated [autotag]Michel Pereira[/autotag] in the main event of Saturday’s UFC Fight Night 245. It was a big win that put Hernandez on a six-fight winning streak, with five of those coming by stoppage. Is Hernandez a serious threat to the middleweight title? Where does Pereira go from here? We dissect the main event of UFC Fight Night 245.
  • Finally, it’s UFC 308 fight week. That’s right, in just a few days time, [autotag]Ilia Topuria[/autotag] will defend his UFC featherweight title against [autotag]Max Holloway[/autotag] Preview in an extremely highly-anticipated matchup. There’s a lot on the line here. Could Topuria steal Fighter of the Year with a win over Holloway? Could a win cement Holloway as the greatest to ever do it at featherweight? We break down this championship fight along with other bog bouts in the card, including [autotag]Robert Whittaker[/autotag] vs. [autotag]Khamzat Chimaev[/autotag].

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Francis Ngannou admits breaking down in camp, second thoughts during emotional PFL fight week

Francis Ngannou overcame a few mental hurdles to make it to the cage at PFL: Battle of the Giants, and is glad he pushed through.

RIYADH, Saudi Arabia – Fight week wasn’t smooth for [autotag]Francis Ngannou[/autotag], nor was the fight camp for his return to MMA.

The former UFC champion has experienced a ton personally and professionally since leaving the promotion early in 2022.

Some things were great. Ngannou (18-3) landed a lucrative contract with PFL that allowed him the freedom to compete in boxing, and he did that twice against a pair of champion-level heavyweights. Even though he lost both fights, an event that occurred between the bouts against Tyson Fury and Anthony Joshua nearly broke him.

Ngannou endured an unthinkable tragedy when his 15-month-old son Kobe died unexpectedly.

For a while, Ngannou struggled to process everything. He didn’t know which direction he wanted to go in life. As the days passed and the healing process began, he found a purpose in competition. Now, he was doing it for Kobe.

While Ngannou found a purpose, the days before his return to MMA to face Renan Ferreira at PFL: Battle of the Giants were not without mental hurdles. He admits there were days in camp when he was overcome with emotions and even questioned whether he wanted to compete during fight week, yet that purpose kept him pushing forward.

“Sometimes, it’s good to just take it one at a time,” Ngannou said in his dressing room after the fight. “Some days are tougher than others, and you just have to tell yourself, deal with this day, and tomorrow you will find out. Even when I came here in Riyadh, I landed on Thursday night. On Friday morning, I had a second thought about this fight because my rib was hurting so bad. We checked at the hospital and it was nothing, it was just a pain, but it was painful.

“Overall, during the camp, there was days that you break down, and get very emotional. You don’t want to keep going and you just give it a shot. It’s all about one foot at a time, let me see how it goes.”

Ngannou’s process worked. He made it to the PFL’s cage 1,000 days after his previous MMA fight, when he defeated Ciryl Gane at UFC 270 to defend the heavyweight title. His return didn’t last long. Just three and a half minutes was all it took to put Ferreira (13-4) out with punches.

“The Predator” is back, and now has a win in Saudi Arabia, where he lost both boxing bouts. However, the location of his emotional return wasn’t on his mind. It was all about Kobe, which he says meant more than his UFC title wins.

“I wasn’t thinking about it like having a win here in Riyadh, I was thinking about it just like a fight for my son,” Ngannou said. “Keeping my son in memory feels more better than everything. Make people remember him.”

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for PFL: Battle of the Giants.

PFL’s Renan Ferreira releases statement on TKO loss to Francis Ngannou: ‘Life goes on, we’ll be back’

Renan Ferreira reacts to his TKO loss to Francis Ngannou in the main event of PFL: Battle of the Giants.

[autotag]Renan Ferreira[/autotag] is staying positive despite coming up short in the biggest bout of his career.

The 2023 PFL heavyweight champion suffered a first-round TKO to former UFC heavyweight champion [autotag]Francis Ngannou[/autotag] in the main event of PFL: Battle of the Giants – which went down on Saturday in Saudi Arabia.

Ferreira (13-4) gave all the credit to Ngannou (18-3), and assures he’ll come back stronger from this defeat.

“Hey guys, Renan ‘Problema’ here, a bit broken,” Ferreira said in Portuguese on his Instagram Stories. “Yesterday wasn’t a good day at work, guys, but I’m very happy with all our dedication and everything that developed through our work. I’ve always had the mindset of never losing, for myself, to fight any lack of dedication and commitment, and thank God I have a clean conscience. I worked very hard there, showed up well to the fight, and was happy to return.

“Unfortunately, my opponent was superior. He managed to impose a game where that I couldn’t defend the takedowns, which led to very hard ground-and-pound to get through. And that’s it, life goes on, we’ll be back. I want to thank everyone for all the love and support, we’re always together. Hugs.”

With the defeat, Ferreira saw his four-fight winning streak come to an end. He entered PFL: Battle of the Giants off his best career stretch, as he had knockout wins over Matheus Scheffel, Maurice Greene, Denis Goltsov, and Bellator heavyweight champion Ryan Bader.

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For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for PFL: Battle of the Giants.

Video: What’s next for Francis Ngannou after claiming PFL title in MMA return?

What should be next for Francis Ngannou after his win over Renan Ferreira for the PFL heavyweight superfights belt?

[autotag]Francis Ngannou[/autotag] made an emphatic return to MMA competition Saturday when he emerged from the PFL: Battle of the Giants main event with the promotion’s inaugural superfight heavyweight title.

Former UFC heavyweight champ Ngannou (18-3) spent about 1,000 days away from the sport in which he made his name. That time away included two high-profile boxing matches and a personal tragedy with the death of his son, but he returned for a first-round knockout of Renan Ferreira in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

With Ngannou seemingly unable to fight top-ranked MMA heavyweights like Jon Jones or Tom Aspinall in the UFC, it raises questions about what should be next. Check out the video above for thoughts and analysis on Ngannou’s future.

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for PFL: Battle of the Giants.

Coach Eric Nicksick: Francis Ngannou ‘was questioning himself’ before PFL title win, entered with rib injury

In addition to the tremendous emotional and mental burden Francis Ngannou carried into his PFL debut, he also overcame physical hurdles.

RIYADH, Saudi Arabia – In addition to the tremendous emotional and mental burden [autotag]Francis Ngannou[/autotag] carried into PFL: Battle of the Giants following the tragic death of his son, he also overcame physical hurdles.

Ngannou (18-3) revealed to MMA Junkie post-fight after Saturday’s first-round knockout of Renan Ferreira (13-4) to claim the inaugural PFL superfight heavyweight title, that his camp was troubled by a rib injury that led to a degree of contemplation about pulling out of the fight.

He ultimately moved forward with the contest and got the job done, but his head MMA coach [autotag]Eric Nicksick[/autotag] admitted there was a degree of concern, especially if Ngannou was forced to fight from bottom position at any point against Ferreira.

“It was bad enough to where you’ve got to think: He blew out his knee and wasn’t going to pull out of the Ciryl Gane fight, (but almost pulled out of this one),” Nicksick told MMA Junkie in an exclusive interview on Sunday. “There’s a difference, different stakes, but also it was a different type of pain for him, and obviously we had a grappling-heavy game plan.

“He was worried if he was on his back, how he would be able to move and try to grapple with an injured rib. Once he went to the doctors and they cleared him with an MRI and everything else, I think he realized, ‘I’m going to be OK. I’m going to get through this still.'”

Although the injury was not inconsequential, it also paled in comparison to everything else Ngannou had to endure in his return to MMA exactly 1,000 days after he competed in his final UFC bout against Gane in January 2022.

Ngannou’s 15-month-old son Kobe tragically passed away earlier this year and the trauma of the situation led to thoughts of retirement. Ngannou said he ultimately decided he wanted to come back and dedicate a winning performance to his deceased child, and once he conquered that mission, the emotion poured out in the form of a lengthy embrace with Nicksick and many tears inside the cage.

“I can see the weight lifted off his shoulders immediately,” Nicksick said. “I think that was a lot of my emotional reaction when he won the fight. I just wanted to get in there and be with my boy. He’s been through a lot, and more than I think a lot of us will ever know. It’s just an unimaginable set of events that occurred. Not only that, but coming back and winning in the fashion that he won – it’s just a lot of emotions.

“There wasn’t a lot of words being said (when we embraced). I just wanted to be there and just hug my boy, man. Seeing the emotions that he’s had the last six months, and not only that, even going back to the Anthony Joshua fight – a lot of questioning. It was heavy. It was just heavy. There wasn’t a lot being said. I just told him I loved him, gave him a big old hug and just wanted to be there with him and support him.”

Ngannou, 38, admitted after the victory that part of his motivation to return to fighting was to “find out if I can still fight, if I still have it.” There was real amount of self doubt, and Nicksick said that didn’t go away even as the final hours wound down to standing across from Ferreira.

As Ngannou has done over and over throughout his life, however, he found a way to accomplish his goal. He did it when he escaped his native Cameroon in pursuit of a better life. He did it when he survived homelessness in France. He did it when he entered MMA with limited experience and rose to become UFC champion. And he did it again on Saturday in claiming PFL gold.

“I never questioned him, but I know he was questioning himself all the way – even up until the day of the fight,” Nicksick said. “I know that he carried a different type of weight to him and all I told him was, ‘There’s no other person in the world that I’ve met that has the courage and resiliency that you have. And if there’s anybody that can get through some sort of adversity, it’s going to be you. I don’t know what it is about God or fate or the universe that they put things in front of you. They put things in front of you because they want to see you get through it.’ That was my thing for him.”

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For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for PFL: Battle of the Giants.