UFC president Dana White once had big plans for heavyweight champion Francis Ngannou. But after stepping out of his title defense against Ciryl Gane at UFC 270 on January 23, 2022, things quickly soured. Ngannou’s contract negotiations with the promotion became a turning point. While the UFC was open to financial demands, Ngannou wanted something deeper than money. A year after what became his final UFC fight, he made his stance clear: “It doesn’t matter how much [money] is in that contract, I am not free.” For him, “It’s a matter of principle. Money is a part of it but it’s not all about money.” Coming from poverty to stardom, his demands carried weight.
During talks with White, Francis Ngannou pushed for health insurance and fighter sponsorship rights, insisting, “I can pay my health insurance but some of the fighters can’t.” When negotiations fell apart, the fallout was sealed as he was stripped of his heavyweight title two years after leaving the promotion. Though he moved on to headline boxing matches against Tyson Fury and Anthony Joshua, speculation about a UFC return lingered. Ngannou himself admitted, “I always saw myself in the UFC,” while Jon Jones suggested, “If Francis presents himself in a humble way, I think he could very easily be back in the UFC.” Now, Joe Rogan has voiced how bitter he remains over Dana White’s decision to part ways with the former heavyweight king.
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Is Dana White losing UFC’s best fighters? Joe Rogan thinks so
Recently, Joe Rogan sat down with Academy Award winning actor Matthew McConaughey to talk about his new book, Poems & Prayers (released September 16), and his latest film, The Lost Bus, which hits select theaters on September 19 before its global Apple TV+ premiere on October 3. Their conversation eventually shifted toward health and fitness, and that’s when Rogan brought up Francis Ngannou, the former UFC heavyweight champion.
Rogan revealed just how massive Ngannou truly was during his UFC run. “Francis Ngannou, when he was heavyweight champion, he used to have to cut weight. He had to lose weight to get down to 265,” Rogan said, pointing out that Ngannou wasn’t just a heavyweight, he was bigger than the weight limit itself. McConaughey followed up by asking how much weight Ngannou added back in fight week. Rogan estimated, “He is probably putting another 10 on at least. He is not losing on, but he’s got to watch his calorie output. He is a massive human.” In other words, Ngannou was competing while still having to manage his body size, proof of just how freakishly large and powerful he was compared to his peers.
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McConaughey chimed in, recalling, “Yeah, I met him in Saudi Arabia.” Rogan then reacted with awe, “F–k. This guy’s so big. That’s a real tragedy that him in the UFC couldn’t figure it out. That bothers me a lot because that guy was the scariest heavyweight of all time for sure.” the 58-year-old’s point was clear: Ngannou wasn’t just another champion; he was a once-in-a-lifetime force whose split with the UFC left a hole in the division.
Elaborating on his dominance, Joe Rogan explained, “He put guys in orbit. He would hit them and you just go, ‘Oh, it would hurt you like watching it.’ You’re like, ‘Oh no.’” This wasn’t hyperbole, Ngannou’s knockouts were so violent that even fans watching at home could almost feel the power. His ability to erase opponents with a single punch wasn’t something training could prepare you for.
Rogan closed his thoughts with a harsh truth about fighting: “All men are not created equal. That’s another problem with fighting. No matter how much preparation you have, no matter how intelligence you have, some people are faster and harder than you, right? And you ain’t going to fix that in the gym. You will get a little better, but you are never going to bridge that gap.” In other words, Ngannou represented the cruel reality of combat sports, raw physical gifts and explosive power that no amount of skill or strategy could fully neutralize. But while Joe Rogan is upset about Francis Ngannou’s exit from the UFC, does he himself want to go back to the promotion?
Why Joe Rogan doesn’t align with Francis Ngannou’s demands
Three months ago, Francis Ngannou shut down the comeback rumors on his X account. When asked if he planned on returning, Ngannou replied, “Did I say I’m ever coming back? 🤔” And when a fan urged him to reclaim his belt, the PFL heavyweight champion fired back, “I don’t remember losing it, mate. It’s still in my closet.”
Still, his longtime coach Eric Nicksick has a different perspective. He believes it’s possible for Ngannou and the UFC to mend fences after all this time. “Enough time has passed, I would love to see them mend these fences and get back to competing in the UFC,” Nicksick explained. According to him, ‘The Predator’ isn’t motivated by money but by competition, and “the best competition is in the UFC.”
However, Dana White doesn’t seem optimistic about a reunion. At the UFC Baku press conference, he was asked whether he’d welcome Ngannou back if the fighter truly wanted to return. White didn’t hesitate: “Francis doesn’t always mean what he says publicly, 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.” His words made it clear that he has little interest in re-signing the former heavyweight champion.
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