In a recent press conference, Dana White heavily criticized Francis Ngannou, the former UFC heavyweight champion, following his successful debut at PFL. In response to these negative comments, Jake Paul and Ariel Helwani immediately stepped up to defend Ngannou and condemned the UFC boss for his inaccurate and belittling statements.
Dana White Ignores Ngannou’s Success
During the post-event press conference for Power Slap, Dana White was asked about Ngannou’s performance at PFL. Instead of praising “The Predator” for his achievements, he emphasized that Ngannou was only interested in money and claimed that he had nearly severed ties with Ngannou after two consecutive losses in his career. “Francis Ngannou is all about money. Francis left because he knew that if he fought Jon Jones and didn’t win, it would affect his ability to earn,” White said. He also revealed that someone had intervened to prevent the termination of Ngannou’s contract.
Jake Paul and Ariel Helwani Strongly Oppose
Dana White’s comments did not go unnoticed, particularly by Jake Paul, who recalled a time when White supported Ngannou and advised Jon Jones not to fight him. Paul criticized White on social media platform X, arguing that he was changing the narrative to fit the current situation. Ariel Helwani also didn’t hesitate to criticize White, stating that his remarks about Ngannou were completely unreasonable and reflected jealousy. “I had to watch this clip twice to make sure it wasn’t a joke. I could spend 60-90 minutes just analyzing all the nonsense in these two minutes,” Helwani wrote. He emphasized that Ngannou had many main event fights in the UFC after his first loss, and there was no reason for Dana White to want to cut ties with such a promising fighter.
With Francis Ngannou having just made an impressive debut at PFL, where he defeated Renan Ferreira in just one round, MMA fans are eagerly awaiting his next opponent. This makes Dana White’s comments all the more perplexing, given that Ngannou has proven his talent and determination in the ring.
