UFC's head honcho Dana White has left no room for ambiguity as he recently shared his unfiltered thoughts on Francis Ngannou's purported contract with the Professional Fighters League (PFL). White took it up by openly challenging PFL's recent business approach.
According to White, the PFL may be hatching a grand scheme to seize control of Bellator MMA. If rumors are to be believed, the league is allegedly on the hunt for a whopping $290 million investment from the illustrious realms of the Middle East to fund their audacious endeavor.
During the UFC Vegas 73 press conference, UFC president Dana White stated:
"I'm hearing that they're raising money right now, $280 million, $290 million from the Middle East. I don't know who in the hell would give them $280 million, I'm hearing they're buying Bellator! So you're an organization that's burning cash, you have no ratings and selling no tickets and you're going to raise $280 million to buy a company that's burning cash, sells no tickets and does no ratings. It sounds f**ing absolutely genius to me!”
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Dana White's recent remarks have captured the attention of PFL founder Donn Davis. In a retaliatory move, Davis fired back at White, metaphorically smoking him with a poignant response reminiscent of the legendary Blockbuster versus Netflix debate from 2008. Davis recently remarked on Twitter:
"'Netflix is not even on our radar screen in terms of competition.' Blockbuster CEO 2008
'What PFL is doing makes no sense to me.' UFC President 2023"
Dana White believes Francis Ngannou joining the PFL "makes no sense"
Dana White's discontent with Francis Ngannou's recent contract signing with the PFL is widely known. While the MMA world rejoices over Ngannou's lucrative deal, White has voiced his concerns over its limited commercial appeal and openly criticized Ngannou's aspirations to step into the boxing ring.
Nevertheless, White's sentiments on the matter are far from positive. The UFC boss finds himself unimpressed by the PFL's decision to allocate substantial funds to 'The Predator'. This despite his inactivity in MMA, particularly when considering his plans for a potential boxing endeavor that may not involve the PFL at all.
White goes as far as asserting that the former UFC heavyweight champion harbors misguided notions and unrealistic expectations regarding his venture into the world of boxing. The UFC president remarked:
"Based on what I know about the deal, which is not much, it makes no sense to me. You're going to pay a guy not to fight for a year and it's already been like 18 months, he's fought three times in the last 3 years...PFL's going to pay this guy to train for a boxing match that may not even happen and that they might not even be involved in. How does that make any sense?"
Check out Dana White's remarks below: