Dana White finally admits he wanted Francis Ngannou to lose Ciryl Gane fight: Damn right
Dana White finally admitted what many suspected more than four years ago: He wanted Francis Ngannou to lose his final UFC fight against Ciryl Gane.
The UFC boss made the admission to BigBoyTV in an interview published Friday when asked to name a UFC fighter he wanted to see lose.
"Guy that I wanted to lose? It would have to be Francis Ngannou [vs.] Ciryl Gane," White replied quickly.
"Damn right, I wanted Ngannou to lose."
The comments mark the first time White has publicly acknowledged rooting against Ngannou when the then-UFC heavyweight champion faced Gane in a January 2022 title defense at UFC 270 that arrived amid a contentious contract dispute. Despite competing with a serious knee injury, Ngannou rallied from an early deficit to defeat Gane by unanimous decision and successfully defend his heavyweight title.
White infamously declined to stick around to wrap the UFC heavyweight title around Ngannou's waist in the post-fight aftermath, leaving UFC matchmaker Mick Maynard to present the belt instead. White also skipped UFC 270's post-fight press conference, prompting speculation that his absences were connected to his precarious relationship with Ngannou — a suggestion White emphatically rejected days later.
That fight would ultimately be Ngannou's last in the UFC. The Cameroonian heavyweight departed the promotion as its reigning champion in an unprecedented move in early 2023, going on to ink big-money bouts in both MMA and boxing. The relationship between White and Ngannou has only grown more contentious in the years since; in May, the UFC announced Conor McGregor's return fight against Max Holloway in the midst of Ngannou's walkout for his Netflix fight on the Ronda Rousey vs. Gina Carano card.
In that situation as well, White bristled at any notions that the timing of the McGregor announcement was an intentional shot at Ngannou, however the UFC CEO's continued disdain for his former heavyweight champion reared its head again this week when the White repeatedly characterized Ngannou as a "bad guy" during media rounds for Saturday's Ryan Garcia vs. Conor Benn WBC welterweight title fight in Las Vegas.
Ngannou responded Friday on social media to White's latest salvo.
Saying the guy that I spent over three years and a lot of money in law firms building an escape plan to get away from, meanwhile he was doing everything in his power to ensure I was never free.🙄
— Francis Ngannou (@francis_ngannou) September 11, 2026
You have to take that loss; it is irreversible.😎✌🏽 https://t.co/9JCZU0Mxzt
"Saying the guy that I spent over three years and a lot of money in law firms building an escape plan to get away from, meanwhile he was doing everything in his power to ensure I was never free.
You have to take that loss; it is irreversible."
Ngannou (19-3) remains MMA's lineal heavyweight champion, having gone unbeaten in the sport since departing the UFC with the promotion's blue-ribbon belt.
The UFC's heavyweight division, in the meantime, remains mired in uncertainty, with reigning champion Tom Aspinall still sidelined since suffering eye injuries in his October 2025 title defense against now-interim champion Ciryl Gane.