Dana White, CEO of Ultimate Fighting Championship introduces Republican presidential nominee Donald J. Trump during the final day of the Republican National Convention.

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“Grabs Me By My Shirt” – Dana White Reveals Two Incidents Where Francis Ngannou Allegedly Got Physical With Him

Dana White, CEO of Ultimate Fighting Championship introduces Republican presidential nominee Donald J. Trump during the final day of the Republican National Convention.

Fighter-promoter relationships can get messy when money gets involved. Contract negotiations often turn ugly between UFC brass and athletes. Both sides usually keep the dirty details private afterward as public feuds damage everyone’s reputation and earning potential going forward. Most disagreements get resolved behind closed doors with NDAs. But some bridges burn so completely that silence becomes impossible. Dana White and Francis Ngannou represent one of those situations.

The former heavyweight champion left the UFC after refusing to re-sign. Their separation turned bitter almost immediately with accusations flying both ways. White has made numerous negative comments about Ngannou since then. Now Dana White revealed an incident where Francis Ngannou allegedly got physical with him during their working relationship.

Dana White Reveals The Backstage Confrontations

White appeared on Andrew Schulz’s Flagrant podcast recently for an interview. The UFC president opened up about behind-the-scenes incidents he had never discussed publicly. He specifically addressed why he dislikes Ngannou so much personally. According to White, the Cameroonian fighter isn’t who he pretends to be. White then shared two specific incidents involving physical contact. The first allegedly happened before Ngannou’s rematch with Stipe Miocic at UFC 220.

“So, after the press conference [Stipe vs Ngannou], we’re walking down this hallway, and he comes over to me, and he grabs me and he says, ‘Let me tell you what’s gonna happen.’ His English is f*cking great, no language barrier whatsoever. ‘When this fight’s over, you’re gonna book me a private plane to Paris.’ I laughed and he goes, ‘I’m not joking. You’re gonna book me a private plane to Paris.’ I say, ‘Oh, OK.’”

Dana White says Francis Ngannou put his hands on him in a meeting once 😳

“Francis Ngannou is a bad guy.

After the press conference he comes over to me and grabs me and he says ‘When this fight is over, you’re gonna book me a private plane to Paris.’…

He was pissed off that… pic.twitter.com/pcrubfklzc
— Championship Rounds (@ChampRDS) November 18, 2025

The second incident sounds even more confrontational and concerning honestly. Ngannou came to White’s office complaining about not receiving a performance bonus. When their conversation ended, White tried leaving his own office. That’s when things got physical according to his account.

“He just fought and he comes up to my office. …’ He was pissed off that he didn’t get a $50,000 bonus in his last fight, that he didn’t get the bonus of the night. I said, ‘Francis, you didn’t get it because this, that… I’m starting to leave, and he grabs me by my shirt, and like pushes me back in my office. I said, ‘Dude, get your f*cking hands off me.’”

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White described seeing something disturbing in Ngannou’s face and eyes. The encounter showed him who Francis really was deep down.

(Image Credit: Jasper Colt – Imagn Images)

Dana White

Francis Ngannou

Zaid Quraishi

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I am a dedicated MMA and Boxing content writer at The Playoffs. I was instantly hooked on MMA after watching the fight between Lyoto Machida vs. Gegard Mousasi back in 2014, and since then, i have been an avid writer with a deep love for the sport and its techniques, providing readers with a thorough understanding of the sport. My favorite aspect of working at The Playoffs is the creative freedom it provides. The diverse range of topics, from listicles and SEO to news articles, keeps me engaged and motivates me to continuously improve my skills! I aim to capture the excitement of the combat sports world in my writing, acting as the middleman between fighters and their die-hard fans. It is kind of like a referee, but with words!