Dana White claims Francis Ngannou didn't make more money boxing than he did in the UFC: 'It's all a myth'

Dana White disputes the notion that Francis Ngannou made more money in boxing than he would have made in the UFC.

One of the biggest stories in combat sports in recent years was Ngannou's departure from the UFC to move to the PFL and pursue boxing. Although Ngannou had many reasons for leaving the promotion, one of the most important was his claim that he would make more money in boxing than in the UFC.

But Dana White rejects this claim.

On Tuesday, the UFC CEO spoke with Kevin Iole in which he expressed the idea that Ngannou earns more in boxing than in the UFC and said that the idea of ​​money in boxing is “a myth.”

“That’s not necessarily true,” White said. “This is the nonsense that people publicly believe, but it is not the truth. Total nonsense. Total nonsense.

“It's this whole myth that makes everyone say, 'Oh, let's go fucking boxing!' and all this nonsense. Boxing doesn't work. Boxing doesn't work. How does it work? It takes a damn Saudi trillionaire to fight fucking fights. And even Saudi trillionaires are fed up with the damn nonsense. It's all a damn myth. It's all a myth.

“Like the whole statement you just made is absolutely not true. It's these kinds of damning statements and these kinds of quotes from the media that make up all the crap. All this fighting is happening, it takes a damn Saudi trillionaire. Any damn guy who tries to box ends up losing a lot of damn money. The model doesn't work. A Saudi unlimited amount of money shows up and that's what makes these fights possible, and even people with that much money are damn sick of the nonsense.”

In recent years, Turki Alalshikh, chairman of the General Entertainment Authority of Saudi Arabia, has invested heavily in boxing, including by financing Ngannou's boxing matches against Tyson Fury and Anthony Joshua, which reportedly cost Ngannou $30 million between the two fights brought in. That's a significant amount more than the $8 million Ngannou claimed the UFC offered him to fight Jon Jones, but when he spoke to reporters after the final episode of Contender series, White reiterated his denial.

“I know all the crap you people don't know and I don't care what anyone says,” White told reporters. “I don’t care. But that is a fact. He was offered more money because I know the actual numbers.”

Ngannou makes his long-awaited return to MMA later this month when he faces PFL heavyweight champion Renan Ferreira at PFL: Battle of the Giants, taking place on October 19 in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.