Former UFC heavyweight champion reunited with Israel Adesanya ahead of fight night

A familiar face and nemesis of UFC CEO Dana White posed with the UFC Saudi Arabia headliner.
Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images

Fans rarely see former UFC heavyweight-turned-PFL Super Fight Champion Francis Ngannou in the public eye outside of the cage.

Ngannou Reunites With Israel Adesanya

Still, a photo surfaced this week showing Ngannou traveling to Saudi Arabia to see his friend, Israel Adesanya, fight Nassourdine Imavov this Saturday in the main event of a UFC Fight Night in Riyadh.

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Ngannou split from the UFC amidst a contract dispute in the winter of 2023, forgoing his then-heavyweight championship.

Unlike Adesanya, who has been one of the UFC's biggest stars over the past five years, Ngannou was famously on the outs with UFC CEO Dana White over opportunities for fighters to better themselves financially and have more of a say in their overall career trajectory.

Francis Ngannou leaves the Octagon after a win against Ciryl Gane during UFC 270 at Honda Center.
Francis Ngannou leaves the Octagon after a win against Ciryl Gane during UFC 270 at Honda Center. / Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images

"Francis isn't a good guy," White said last October via CBS Sports. "He plays a good guy. 'Duh, duh I don't understand the language,' so he seems like he's a nice guy. He's not," White said. "And he's just not a guy that I wanted to be in business with. We'll never be in business together. We don't like each other."

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Meanwhile, Ngannou has consistently disputed White's remarks. Ngannou revealed a staggering caveat that ultimately led him to walk free: his worth as a professional MMA fighter.

“I think Dana’s trying to make things up to buy good faith in the position he has lost,” Ngannou said in an interview with Sirius XM "Fight Nation." “Dana has lost in this situation... and he cannot stand it. Bro, I won everything: I left. We’ve been apart almost two years, and the guy is still out there; he can’t live without it, hounding me. Regardless of what happened, I’m not about him."

Francis Ngannou and Ciryl Gane pose face to face during weigh-ins for UFC 270 at Anaheim Convention Center.
Francis Ngannou and Ciryl Gane pose face to face during weigh-ins for UFC 270 at Anaheim Convention Center. / Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images

White is in Saudi Arabia for "Power Slap" on Thursday and the UFC on Saturday. Whether the two cross paths is not likely, but it is worth noting that Ngannou's lasting UFC memory remains White's refusal to award Ngannou his belt following his lone UFC 270 title defense against Ciryl Gane in Jan. 2022.

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For now, the focus shifts back to Adesanya and his attempt to snap a two-fight losing skid since losing the middleweight title to then-champion, Sean Strickland, in Sept. 2023.

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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