Will Dana White welcome Francis Ngannou back to UFC if he loses to Anthony Joshua? Exploring the possibility

UFC boss Dana White and former UFC heavyweight king Francis Ngannou were once engaged in long, drawn-out negotiations to keep 'The Predator' competing in the octagon, where bouts against the likes of Jon Jones awaited.

Ultimately, Ngannou ended up leaving to pursue boxing fights, freedom afforded to him under contract with the PFL. Chief among Ngannou's demands that the UFC turned down was seemingly the ability to take part in boxing matches. He also demanded higher pay and widescale fighter benefits such as health insurance.

Since negotiations with the UFC broke down, Ngannou has proved his doubters wrong. Notably, he impressed everyone when he faced and nearly beat Tyson Fury in the ring, even scoring a knockdown in the process.

Now, he has secured another boxing match, this time against heavyweight star Anthony Joshua. The two are set to square off in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, on March 8.

Fans have consistently been wondering whether a potential return to the UFC may be on the cards. While Dana White has insisted that Francis Ngannou will not fight in the octagon again, circumstances often change.

If the timing works out and results go a certain way, could we see 'The Predator' back under the UFC banner in the future?

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The hurdles that could affect Dana White bringing 'The Predator' back to the UFC

Given where Ngannou is in his career, the UFC will have to budge and allow 'The Predator' to partake in boxing matches. Such a stipulation appears non-negotiable to the former heavyweight champion.

Furthermore, the UFC will also likely have to match the terms of his PFL deal, which is very unique, to say the least. Apart from a seven-figure guarantee per-fight, Ngannou also negotiated a guaranteed $2 million for each of his opponents, a share of each event's net profits, as well as an executive position for the PFL's planned expansion to Africa.

Given the UFC's position as the premier MMA promotion in the world, it seems unlikely that they would allow their heavyweight champion to take a hiatus from MMA and pursue boxing fights.

The PFL, for instance, is yet to announce Ngannou's next fight. 'The Predator' will face Joshua in March, and May will mark a year since he signed for the PFL.

Despite announcing big plans for 2024, the PFL is yet to announce concrete intentions for Ngannou, which will mean that their marquee signing likely won't debut within a year after signing.

Dana White has also expressed his confusion over the signing, stating during a press conference:

"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”

As a result, it's unlikely that a return to the UFC is on the cards for Ngannou. That being said, Dana White is a shrewd businessman above all else, so fans shouldn't rule out the possibility entirely.