Boxing News: UFC CEO Dana White Reacts to Francis Ngannou’s Performance Against Anthony Joshua: ‘Just Like That’

Dana White kept it blunt when discussing a former heavyweight champion’s jaw-dropping loss.
Boxing News: UFC CEO Dana White Reacts to Francis Ngannou’s Performance Against Anthony Joshua: ‘Just Like That’
Boxing News: UFC CEO Dana White Reacts to Francis Ngannou’s Performance Against Anthony Joshua: ‘Just Like That’ /

UFC CEO Dana White has finally broken silence on Francis Ngannou’s second-round KO loss to Anthony Joshua from Friday afternoon.

The bout was contested as the headliner to DAZN’s “Knockout Chaos” card, which took place in Saudi Arabia and saw Joshua deliver one of the most devastating punches in recent boxing memory.

Anthony Joshua vs. Francis Ngannou Free Live Stream Results - Full Card

White, who previously dealt with Ngannou as the ex-UFC heavyweight champion and couldn’t maintain the Cameroonian as one of the sport’s biggest attractions, told it like it was regarding the stoppage.

"If Fury trained for the fight and didn’t show up and look like he ate Tyson Fury, that’s probably the way that fight would have ended, too,” White told reporters at the UFC 299 post-fight presser. “You know how I feel about crossovers into boxing and that’s how they end. Just like that.”

White is no stranger to crossover fights himself, as he most notably promoted Randy Couture vs. James Toney in Aug. 2010 and Floyd Mayweather Jr. vs. Conor McGregor almost seven years to the exact date. As anticipated, Couture and Mayweather Jr. walked away victorious, as their respective sports won out.

Based on White’s comments, crossover fights don’t seem to be in the 54-year-old’s promotional long-term plans, especially considering he won’t entertain the idea of Ngannou facing Jon Jones in a potential PFL vs. UFC super-fight.

For now, White’s focus appears to remain locked into his promotion, the UFC, and rightfully so.

It remains to be seen if and when Ngannou competes in MMA again, having been without a fight since Jan. 2022.

Stick with MMA Knockout for more daily coverage of the UFC, MMA, WWE, and AEW.

Follow MMA Knockout on Twitter and Facebook.


Published
Zain Bando
ZAIN BANDO

Zain Bando is a writer for MMA Knockout, part of the Sports Illustrated/Minute Media umbrella. He has covered combat sports since 2019 for notable outlets BJPenn.com and FanSided MMA. He also co-hosts a podcast called "The MMA Outsiders," part of the Empty The Bench Podcast Network, which airs Tuesday nights at 7:00 p.m. ET/4:00 p.m. PT. A Chicago suburban native, Bando has been enthralled with MMA since 2006 and has been fortunate to attend some of the most high-profile events in the sport's history, both as a fan and media member, including UFC 264, Bellator 297 and Kayla Harrison's PFL MMA debut. He is excited to take the next step in his combat sports writing journey and looks forward to continuing his following of the fight game for years to come. Bando can be reached via email at zainbando99@gmail.com or by social media @zainbando99