Dana White says Francis Ngannou won't return to UFC

UFC CEO Dana White has said that Francis Ngannou will not come back to the UFC. This seems to close the door on any chance of the former heavyweight champion returning to the company.

Ngannou left the UFC in January 2023 after a long fight with White about his future. The UFC stripped him of the heavyweight title after he left.

The ongoing feud between Ngannou and White came up again during White’s talk on Nightcap on Thursday. He was asked if there could be a fight between Ngannou and retired UFC champion Jon Jones.

“Listen, Ngannou is on my Oscar De La Hoya list.

“Look at the history of Francis Ngannou and the other companies he’s been with. He’s a bad guy and I’m at a point in my life where I just don’t want to do business with bad guys. I just don’t,” White said, as reported by Yahoo News on Friday.

After leaving the UFC, Ngannou joined the Professional Fighters League. He signed to fight for the promotion and to be chairman of PFL Africa.

But he only fought once for the PFL. He won against Renan Ferreira in 2024 before leaving the organization in March 2026.

Since then, Ngannou has been active in boxing. He faced former heavyweight champions Tyson Fury and Anthony Joshua.

A return to the UFC seems unlikely due to his tough relationship with White. Meanwhile, Jones, seen as one of the best fighters ever, has retired.

White also praised Jones, describing him in strong terms.

“Jon Jones is the baddest dude to ever walk the face of the earth.

“People always bust my balls when I say it, Jon Jones is not just a stone cold killer, That guy’s dark. He’s dark,” White said.