Francis Ngannou and UFC CEO Dana White are not on the best of terms right now.
Well, the duo actually haven’t been on great terms for years now. Publicly, they feuded quite a bit when Ngannou jumped ship to PFL as the active Heavyweight champion, lining himself up for several gigantic paydays
and boxing crossovers. As the Heavyweight division has grown weaker in recent years, however, fans have continually hoped for a return of “The Predator.”In an attempt to shutdown that suggestion, White labeled
Ngannou a “bad guy” and accused him of putting hands on UFC executives. When offered a chance to deny those claims, Ngannou didn’t exactly clarify one way or another.
Still, this is the fight business. Dana White has been embroiled in quite a few ugly wars of words with athletes over the years, and the wrinkles usually iron out. Speaking with Ariel Helwani, Ngannou revealed that he would be open to a UFC return, as well as the interesting detail that his contract could expire just in time for a UFC White House appearance.
“I’m getting very close on the PFL contract [ending],” Ngannou said (via CBS Sports). “They have to give me a fight.”
When asked about fighting at the White House for the UFC, Ngannou admitted “there’s a chance” and “anything can happen.” As for a potential opponent, Ngannou remains interested in the much-discussed Jon Jones super fight, and everybody knows that ”Bones” is absolutely desperate to find his way onto the White House event.
As it stands now, the odds of an Ngannou return remain rather unlikely. Given President Donald Trump’s high expectations for the card, however, there’s always a chance some extra star power is needed in June.
