Dana White Alleges Francis Ngannou Assaulted Him
SPORTS
Dana White claims Francis Ngannou once pushed him during a heated bonus dispute — and later says he contacted the FBI over suspicious betting tied to a fighter’s first-round loss. Two unrelated stories, but both reveal the chaos White says he deals with behind the scenes.(Photo: Andrius Petrucenia;Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 2.0)
Dana White covered far more ground than expected during his latest podcast appearance. What began as a story about a tense confrontation with former heavyweight champion Francis Ngannou unexpectedly shifted into a detailed breakdown of the UFC’s most serious gambling scandal since the James Krause era — one that White says forced him to contact the FBI after a fighter lost in the first round under suspicious circumstances.
The two stories were unrelated, but presented together they offered a rare, unfiltered look at the volatility behind the UFC’s business, from bonus disputes to federal investigations.
White Says Ngannou Pushed Him During a Bonus Argument
White revisited an incident he says happened several years ago, long before Ngannou left the UFC. According to White, Ngannou was furious after not receiving a discretionary bonus he believed he deserved. White claimed that as he tried to walk away from the discussion, Ngannou grabbed him by the shirt and pushed him back toward his office.
White described Ngannou as physically imposing and extremely angry, insisting on continuing the confrontation. He also claimed Ngannou did something similar to UFC executive Hunter Campbell during a separate disagreement, grabbing Campbell by the collar when he attempted to end a conversation.
No recording of either alleged encounter exists, and Ngannou has not confirmed White’s version of events. Still, White’s account adds another layer to their long-running conflict over pay, contracts, and creative control — one that has simmered publicly since Ngannou’s departure.
Later in the Episode, White Turns to UFC’s Latest Gambling Crisis
After discussing Ngannou, White shifted to a completely different issue: the wave of gambling scrutiny the UFC has faced as sports betting becomes increasingly regulated.
White said that he personally contacted the FBI after a recent fight involving featherweight Isaac Dulgarian raised integrity concerns. Dulgarian entered the bout as a strong favorite, but betting markets suddenly shifted in the opposite direction. Sportsbooks reported heavy action on his opponent to win in the first round — a highly specific outcome — and several operators even pulled the fight from their boards due to unusual activity.
Dulgarian then lost in the first round by rear-naked choke, a result that immediately amplified suspicion. White said internal integrity monitors flagged the betting patterns early, and the combination of dramatic line movement and the way the fight played out left the UFC with no choice but to involve federal authorities.
The UFC released Dulgarian almost immediately after the bout. White emphasized that he wasn’t declaring the fighter guilty, but that the circumstances looked bad enough that the promotion had to escalate the matter to law enforcement rather than handle it quietly.
Why These Two Stories Matter Together
The alleged Ngannou incident and the Dulgarian gambling controversy are unrelated events, but presented back-to-back they illustrate the same theme: the UFC operates under intense pressure, both from within and outside the cage.
One moment, White is describing a physical escalation with one of the most powerful athletes ever to compete in the sport. The next, he is explaining why he picked up the phone and called the FBI on one of his own fighters after patterns around a first-round loss raised red flags across the betting world.
Both stories highlight White’s claim that he deals with volatility on every front — fighter disputes, executive clashes, fan expectations, and now the growing threat of gambling scandals that could compromise the integrity of the sport.
Whether Ngannou’s alleged push happened exactly as White describes remains one person’s account. But the Dulgarian investigation is very real, with bookmakers, regulators, and federal agents all involved as the probe continues.