UFC President Dana White has absolutely no interest in seeing a fight between Tom Aspinall and Francis Ngannou – nor does he want to theorise how such a fantasy bout might unfold.
The prolonged bottleneck at the top of the heavyweight division began when Ngannou chose not to re-sign with the UFC after defending his title against Ciryl Gane in January 2022. He held the championship for a year before moving on, which led to Jon Jones securing the newly vacant belt.
However, Jones defended his title only once before eventually retiring, forcing interim champion Tom Aspinall to wait years before finally becoming the undisputed champion recently. But even though a clash between Aspinall and Ngannou would be one of the biggest fights possible, White remains uninterested in a potential cross-promotion with PFL, where Ngannou is currently signed.
Dana White Shuts Down Aspinall v Ngannou Super-Fight Talk
Since confirming Jon Jones`s retirement on Saturday night, Dana White has faced numerous questions about the future of the heavyweight division. Tom Aspinall is expected to defend his title this year and aims for a busy championship reign, contrasting with the relatively inactive runs of the two previous titleholders.
Despite holding an exclusive contract with the PFL, Francis Ngannou`s name is frequently mentioned in discussions about a possible UFC comeback. There is speculation that PFL might be open to a co-promotion, something the UFC has famously avoided in the past.
Speaking to media on Sunday, Dana White reiterated his lack of enthusiasm for Ngannou`s potential return. “Francis Ngannou? I’m not a fan,” he stated again. “You’ll have to play that one out in your head because I don’t see that one happening!”
Francis Ngannou’s Coach Hopes For a UFC Return
Since his departure from the UFC, Ngannou has participated in two boxing matches against former world champions Tyson Fury and Anthony Joshua, in addition to one MMA bout in the PFL. He had a moment of success by dropping the then-lineal champion Fury but ultimately lost a split decision, before being knocked out by Joshua swiftly. His recent MMA return saw him dominate Renan Ferreira in Riyadh.
However, Ngannou`s coach, Eric Nicksick, believes returning to the UFC octagon might be the best path for ‘The Predator’ to face elite-level competition.
Nicksick commented: “Enough time has passed. 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.”
He added: “Now where does his motivations come from? It’s not about money, it’s about competition. And the best competition is in the UFC.”
