UFC President Dana White holds no interest in a potential fantasy fight between Tom Aspinall and Francis Ngannou, or even in speculating about how such a matchup might unfold.
The long-standing bottleneck at the top of the heavyweight division began when Ngannou chose not to re-sign with the UFC following his title defense against Ciryl Gane in January 2022. After holding the belt for a year, he departed for new ventures, which allowed Jon Jones to capture the vacant championship.
However, Jones defended his title only once and eventually retired, meaning interim champion Tom Aspinall had to wait years before finally being crowned the undisputed champion this past weekend. Despite Aspinall vs. Ngannou being considered a significant potential fight, White remains completely uninterested in a cross-promotion with PFL.
Since confirming Jon Jones`s retirement on Saturday night, Dana White has faced numerous questions regarding the future of the heavyweight landscape. Tom Aspinall is expected to defend his title this year and aims for a more active reign compared to the relatively quiet periods of the previous two champions.
Francis Ngannou`s name frequently comes up in discussions about a potential UFC comeback, despite his exclusive contract with the PFL. While some believe a co-promotion could be possible, the UFC is notoriously opposed to such arrangements.
Speaking to selected media on Sunday at Fanatics Fest in New York City, Dana White reiterated his lack of interest in Ngannou returning. “Francis Ngannou? I’m not a fan,” he repeated. “You’ll have to play that one out in your head because I don’t see that one happening!”
Francis Ngannou`s Coach Suggests a Return to the UFC
Since departing the UFC, Ngannou has participated in two boxing matches against former world champions Tyson Fury and Anthony Joshua, as well as one MMA fight in the PFL. He found success against Fury, even scoring a knockdown before losing a split decision, but was swiftly knocked out by Joshua.
His return to MMA against Renan Ferreira in Riyadh was a decisive victory. However, his coach Eric Nicksick believes returning to the UFC octagon might provide `The Predator` with the most elite competition.
“Enough time has passed,” Nicksick told Home of Fight. “I would love to see them mend these fences and get back to competing in the UFC. I think it’s more about business than it is about ego, at least it is from Francis’ side.
“Now where does his motivations come from? It’s not about money, it’s about competition. And the best competition is in the UFC.”
