Speculations over the UFC White House card continue to intrigue. What makes the rumor mills so fascinating is the presence of a few star names who haven’t fought in recent times, or rather have left the fold. Alongside Conor McGregor, one name that has made incessant rounds is that of Jon Jones. While UFC confirmed his retirement, the MMA icon reportedly contests it. Still, even if he makes it to the White House, predicaments linger. Who’s he going to fight? Reigning champion Tom Aspinall or current favorite Alex Pereira? Though infrequent, the mix finds one more name – Francis Ngannou.

A Jones-Ngannou clash now lies on life support as an MMA dream. Doubts largely stem from the acrimonious separation between Francis Ngannou and Dana White. It’s been two years since the Cameroonian-French fighter departed from the UFC to chalk out a career in boxing and PFL, where he’s the new heavyweight champion. Considering White’s recent comments, the chances of the two reuniting remain unlikely. Still, the clamor for homecoming persists. In the latest episode of JRE, Joe Rogan weighed up Ngannou’s absence with guest Michael Venom Page.

The Destroyer’s return can’t come soon enough!

The mood turned somber when Rogan and Page started discussing the heavyweight lineup, including Jon Jones, Tom Aspinall, and Francis Ngannou. Amazed at Ngannou’s journey from the sand mines in Cameroon to France, Joe Rogan rued how the fight with Jon Jones never materialized. He could only pray now, as he said during the recent episode of JRE, “God, bring back Francis, please.”

But Page was quick to point out the stark reality: “I just don’t see that.” Saying that Dana White and Francis Ngannou should sort out their differences, Rogan added, “I wish I was running sh*t. I feel like I could have me and him get along great.”

Pointing at the proverbial friction between promotion executives and fighters, he revealed, “Dana generally gets along with people, you know, like most fighters he gets along with, but him and Francis—it didn’t work.”

But one only needs to look at the UFC president’s latest comments to gauge his feelings about Francis Ngannou’s return.

Francis Ngannou takes the road less traveled

“One thing I’ve learned over the years about Francis—Francis doesn’t always mean what he says publicly,” he said during UFC Baku‘s post-fight presser. “What he says behind the scenes are different than what he says publicly. I’m not a big fan. I would be shocked if Francis ever came back here on lots of different levels. I’m not a fan, and he doesn’t always mean what he says publicly,” he added.

It was in 2021 that Francis Ngannou became a heavyweight champion for the first time. It took him another ten months before he could step into the cage for his first title defense against Ciryl Gane. However, the fight turned out to be his last under UFC.

Out of action for almost a year due to knee surgery, reportedly, negotiations for a new deal with the UFC failed. It seems Ngannou wanted more flexibility and control over his career. He wanted fewer contract restrictions so he could explore opportunities outside MMA.

On October 28, 2023, he lost a close decision to then-reigning champion Tyson Fury. His next attempt against Anthony Joshua ended in a rude awakening, as the former champion knocked him out in the second round. He’s currently signed for a multi-fight deal with PFL. Last October, he defeated Renan Pereira to win the heavyweight championship.

What are your thoughts? Do you think Ngannou should make an attempt and reach out to Dana White? Let us know in the comments section below.