Former UFC heavyweight champion reunited with Israel Adesanya ahead of fight night
![](https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/c_crop,w_5568,h_3132,x_0,y_0/c_fill,w_720,ar_16:9,f_auto,q_auto,g_auto/images/ImagnImages/mmsport/mma_knockout/01jjsknxcg4zy62jkb67.jpg)
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.
Khamzat Chimaev makes huge promise to UFC fans ahead of Dricus du Plessis fight
Francis Ngannou has arrived in Riyadh to support his friend Israel Adesanya who takes on Nassourdine Imavov at #UFCSaudiArabia 🇳🇬🤝🇨🇲 pic.twitter.com/DLNARkM1tM
— MMA Orbit (@mma_orbit) January 29, 2025
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 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."
Paul Hughes responds to Conor McGregor's wild social media attacks
"The Predator" Unlikely To Meet White In Saudi Arabia
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."
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.
UFC star Conor McGregor goes viral at college basketball game
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.
More UFC & MMA News
• (Exclusive) Youssef Zalal talks Las Vegas fight with top UFC contender Calvin Kattar
• Ariel Helwani shoots down Logan Paul-Jake Paul potential fight announcement
• Alex Pereira details fight talks with Jon Jones, comments on Tom Aspinall matchup
• Former MMA double-champ Aung La N Sang gets Shamil Erdogan rematch at ONE 171: Qatar
Stick with MMA Knockout for more daily coverage of the UFC, MMA, and Boxing.