Ariel Helwani publicly tells off Dana White for "outlandish falsehoods" against Francis Ngannou: "The level of make believe here is astounding"

Ariel Helwani recently issued a biting critique of Dana White for disseminating sensational accusations against Francis Ngannou. 'The Predator' made his long-awaited return to MMA at PFL Super Fights: Battle of the Giants, dominating Renan Ferreira with a brutal ground-and-pound finish earlier this month.

At the Power Slap 9 press conference on Thursday, Dana White was asked to comment on Ngannou's recent victory. While the UFC CEO sidestepped any praise for his ex-champion’s performance, he didn’t hold back from criticizing Ngannou, labeling him as money-driven. White also revealed that he had nearly cut the Cameroonian from the roster after his second loss in the promotion, which came against Derrick Lewis at UFC 226 in July 2018.

However, Helwani didn’t let White’s comments on Ngannou slide and responded with a series of pointed posts on X. The combat sports reporter aimed to fact-check several of the UFC boss’s claims about 'The Predator' and his controversial contract situation:

"I had to watch this clip twice just to make sure it wasn’t satire. I think I can do 60-90 mins alone, just breaking down all the outlandish falsehoods uttered in these two minutes... The level of make-believe here is astounding."

In one of his many posts, Helwani challenged White's claim of nearly releasing Ngannou, pointing out that if that were true, White wouldn’t have given Ngannou the headliner spot in five of the next six events after his loss to Lewis.

Check out Ariel Helwani's posts below:

The rift between Ngannou and White significantly influenced the former UFC heavyweight champion's decision not to re-sign with the organization after defending his title against Ciryl Gane at UFC 270 in January 2022, primarily due to the terms presented to him.

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When Ariel Helwani rebuked Dana White for branding Francis Ngannou's boxing foray "gimmick"

After departing from the UFC, Francis Ngannou signed with the PFL in May 2023, where he was granted the freedom to explore outside opportunities, including participating in boxing matches—an option that Dana White and his company had denied him.

At a press conference last year, White stated that the PFL deal was illogical for the competing MMA organization and aligned himself with former boxing champion Anthony Joshua, who had previously described Ngannou's boxing venture as a "gimmick."

During an episode of The MMA Hour in June 2023, Ariel Helwani didn't hold back as he took aim at the UFC CEO, labeling him a hypocrite for his stance on 'The Predator'. The Canadian journalist criticized White for endorsing the contentious Power Slap league, promoting the ceremonial BMF belt, and permitting WWE superstar CM Punk to compete in the UFC.

Check out Ariel Helwani's comments below: