'He's a bad guy' - Dana White fumes as he reveals the one former UFC star he will never work with again

UFC head honcho Dana White has ruled out a return for former heavyweight champion Francis Ngannou, labelling the 40-year-old 'a bad guy'.

Ngannou won the UFC heavyweight title when he beat Stipe Miocic by knockout in 2021, successfully defending it against Ciryl Gane in January 2022.

The belt was vacated when his contract expired a year later after Ngannou and the promotion failed to agree terms on a new deal.

Read next: Dana White gives worrying Tom Aspinall fight update as he approaches unwanted Jon Jones milestone

Dana White rules out Francis Ngannou UFC return

The UFC CEO has often been critical of Ngannou, highlighting his belief that the Cameroon-born fighter has an 'ego' problem even while he was part of the UFC picture.

There appears to be no prospect of a reunion, with White firmly slamming the door on the subject in an interview this week.

Speaking on the Nightcap podcast, White told Shannon Sharpe, Chad Ochocinco and Joe Johnson that Ngannou returning to a UFC card is not going to happen.

"Listen, Ngannou is on my Oscar De La Hoya list, okay?" said White.

"Look at the history of Francis Ngannou and the other companies he's been with. He's a bad guy, man.

"He's a bad guy and I'm at a point in my life where I just don't want to do business with bad guys. I just don't."

UFC's interim heavyweight title is currently held by Gane, who won it by beating Alex Pereira at UFC Freedom 250, Donald Trump's birthday party.

Ngannou returned to MMA in May, defeating Brazilian fighter Philipe Lins at an MVP MMA event in California. He has a career record of 19 wins and three losses.

After leaving UFC, Ngannou stepped into the boxing ring. In his two professional fights, he was beaten by Tyson Fury and Anthony Joshua, who are slated to meet in a 'Battle of Britain' showpiece in November.

Read next: Dana White issues major concern over Anthony Joshua vs Tyson Fury fight in explosive rant

White and Ngannou beef has a long history

The animosity between White and Ngannou extends back at least as far as 2018, when the fighter apparently demanded that UFC book him a private plane to Paris after he beat Miocic in their first fight in the Octagon.

Ngannou made the request directly to White and did so before the fight, which he then lost. White later said he should have cut the rising star from the UFC roster there and then.

White has also alleged that there was a physical altercation after an argument in his office on a different occasion.

"The conversation’s over, and I’m starting to leave, and he grabs me by my shirt and pushes me back into my office," said White.

"I said: ‘Dude, get your f***ing hands off me.’

"I could see, in this guy’s face and in his eyes and the way he’s acting, who this guy really f***ing is.”

Read next: UFC make six more cuts in another ruthless Dana White move