At this point, it’s no secret that UFC chairman Dana White and former heavyweight champion Francis Ngannou are not in each other’s good books. A fact that the two men prove time and time again through their words and actions. Although athletes having rifts with promoters is neither new nor exclusive to MMA, this one stands out due to the sheer clout it has received.

Making his UFC debut way back in 2015, Francis Ngannou became an instant hit with the MMA crowd, all thanks to his highlight-worthy brutal knockouts, which the Cameroonian started to score from day one. There are few things in MMA that fans enjoy more than a finish, and Dana White knew he had a star budding up. In fact, it was he who introduced the world to the fact that Ngannou hits like a Ford Escort. So what went wrong between them?

Once a hotshot for Dana White, Francis Ngannou left the promotion in his prime

Earlier this year, Francis Ngannou shocked the MMA world with news of his departure from the UFC. This was truly unexpected, as the ‘Predator’ was then at the pinnacle of his UFC career with the heavyweight gold wrapped around his waist. Moreover, his potential super fight with Jon Jones at UFC 285 was just weeks away. The matchup was highly anticipated, with both men making some big claims.

However, the fight went up in flames after the UFC and Ngannou decided to part ways. According to many, the reason for this departure was his pay, something that he had been complaining about for a while. But in one of his many YouTube appearances, the fighter opened up on the matter. If Ngannou is to be believed, pay wasn’t the only reason that compelled him to make this decision.

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In fact, according to Ngannou, the UFC’s restrictive contract, which compromised his ‘freedom’ to venture into other sports, had a big part to play in this. All set to make his much-anticipated pro-boxing debut against Tyson Fury, the heavyweight has always been vocal about his multi-sports ambitions. However, Dana White and the company weren’t too supportive of these goals, leading to the much-famed split which might be permanent.

No possible return for ‘The Predator,’ according to the UFC CEO

Fighters parting ways with the UFC is quite common, but so is their return. Chael Sonnen, Nick Diaz, and many other fighters have done it. But according to Dana White, that possibly might not happen. White said about the chances of Ngannou’s return: “No. We negotiated with him for years.”

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Recently, the promotion omitted a T-shirt worn by Ngannou’s name from his friend Kamaru Usman‘s T-shirt. The former champion was wearing this during the promotional video of the recently concluded UFC 294. This shows how far things have fallen apart. Bad news for anyone who wishes to see ‘Predator’ inside the octagon.