Dana White’s ongoing feud with rival promotion, the PFL, continues at full force. Lightweight prodigy Usman Nurmagomedov and his UFC interests have become a concern for his current promotion. UFC CEO Dana White is willing to sign on the Bellator lightweight champion, Khabib Nurmagomedov’s cousin. He feels Usman would also be willing — it’s not like everyone is a PFL ‘tick’ like Francis Ngannou!
Dana White can go pure sailor mouth and brashly overt when taking the war to Co-Owner Donn Davis. Just recently, White implored the PFL to keep UFC out of their mouth and minds with their laughable statistical comparisons. VP/Democratic nominee Kamala Harris got into the crossfire because of it. Now, Ngannou catches a wild stray in yet another diss.
[On signing on Usman Nurmagomedov]…I mean, yeah — all their good people want to be over here anyway. So I would imagine that eventually, yes…they will be here….Nobody wants to fight in the fu*king PFL, except for Francis.
Dana White during Power Slap 9 post-fight press conference; H/T: SBNation Network
Ngannou left the banner with a bitter taste when contractual hashing failed for a mega fight. The former champ also finds the narrative funny in that he was afraid of others who weren’t even 265 lbs mainstays. Since then, the red-hot global free agency became PFL’s hottest signing and a Global Athlete Advisory Board member. Unlike him, the bossman thinks Usman Nurmagomedov would have better judgment.
Dana White is asked if he would be interested in signing Usman Nurmagomedov:
All their good people want to be over here anyway. So I would imagine that eventually, yes, they will be here.
Nobody wants to fight in the fucking PFL, except for Francis. pic.twitter.com/AhKdoLUyKD— Jed I. Goodman © (@jedigoodman) October 24, 2024
The lightweight champion kept his unbeaten record intact vs. Alexandr Shabliy in the Bellator Champions Series: San Diego headliner. Nurmagomedov (18-0) defeated him via unanimous decision (50-45, 49-46, and 49-46). Even Khabib lauds him as the next-gen champ.
Brother Umar Nurmagomedov is already in the UFC and is the top seed for 135-pound gold. That aside, the slant on Ngannou is getting ridiculous at this point. The bossman tells there’s no ‘White lie’ in it. Meanwhile, the Cameroonian himself takes the high road.
Francis Ngannou takes the moral high ground after Dana White (again) gripes about UFC departure
Regarding Dana White’s continued attempts to spin his departure from the UFC, Francis Ngannou is doing his best. He wants to keep it real — but he also doesn’t want to stoop into the same ditch again. For the Nth time in just the last six months, White said that unbankable and unbillable ex-UFC fighter Ngannou had ulterior motives to go into boxing/PFL.
The recent “Battle of the Giants” pay-per-view (PPV) PFL win has not changed White’s stance. He still bills Francis Ngannou left UFC as he would be unable to money-hog bonuses and PPV points if he lost to Jon Jones. ‘The Predator’ recently grounded and pounded out Renan Ferreira at PFL: Battle of the Giants PPV and is a Heavyweight Super Fight champ.
None of those matters; White berated his first-round TKO win on Thursday, choosing to rehash old squabbles. Ngannou doesn’t seem to understand why White won’t stop badmouthing him and turns to him:
Regardless of everything that happened, I’m not about him, …I went out there, did a fight, had a good fight for my son’s memory, but the guy can’t stand – I don’t know what is his problem. He can make everything up as he wants. That’s his problem…could’ve just said, ‘We didn’t find an agreement. We couldn’t come to a deal, but good luck to him.’ That’s it, you know?
Francis Ngannou for MMA Today w/@RyanMcKinnell & @andreashale for ‘Sirius XM Fight Nation’ (@MMAonSiriusXM)
“He can’t handle this loss…I’m sure he’s been praying for my downfall, but I keep doing my thing, rising.”@francis_ngannou directly responds to Dana White’s recent comments about him
Source: MMA Today w/@RyanMcKinnell & @andreashalepic.twitter.com/j4P2CXKSef pic.twitter.com/UVcltnB2Ro
— MMA on SiriusXM (@MMAonSiriusXM) October 25, 2024
White and Co has ‘lost the situation’ with a convoluted narrative – that’s a point Ngannou wants to drive home at PFL. CEO Pete Murray has already said that, unlike seasonal championship brackets, PFL Super Fight belts are to be defended. Hence, Ngannou means to look only forward from here.
