Dana White 'hopeful and confident' he can get a deal done with Francis Ngannou

Dana White is keen on sorting out his issues with Francis Ngannou.

UFC heavyweight champion Ngannou (17-3 MMA, 12-2 UFC) has vocalized his dissatisfaction with his current deal, which he recently fought out. But because he retained his title against Ciryl Gane at UFC 270, the championship clause in his contract resulted in an extension.

Ngannou has taken a stance, though. Not only does he think he’s under-promoted and under-appreciated, but he wants boxing to be part of his UFC deal – which has caused him to bump heads with White. But White said he isn’t trying to push his champion out the door.

“He’s been in Cameroon visiting his family, so he’s supposed to get back here in the next couple of weeks and we’re supposed to get together,” White told ESPN. “Listen, in the history of this company, the only guy that we’ve ever not signed was Fedor (Emelianenko). I mean, it’s the only guy we could never sign. So, you know, I’m hopeful and confident that we can get a deal done with Francis.”

Ngannou is expected to undergo knee surgery this month, which likely will force him to the sidelines for the remainder of the year. Ngannou said he came into the fight with Gane with his knee already compromised, but was able to show new wrinkles to his game by using his wrestling to bounce the Frenchman out of the ranks of the unbeaten.