Editor’s note: This article was originally published at MMAJunkie.com.
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Dana White is amazed Francis Ngannou went the distance with Tyson Fury.
Not only did Ngannou go the full 10 rounds with the heavyweight titleholder in their crossover boxing match this past Saturday in Saudi Arabia, but he knocked Fury down in a fight many thought he won.
Although White wasn’t happy with Ngannou’s departure from the UFC and shut the door on him ever returning, that didn’t stop him from praising the former heavyweight champion’s effort.
“I didn’t see the fight, but the fact that he went 10 rounds with Tyson Fury is crazy,” White said on Donald Trump Jr.’s Triggered podcast. “He just went 10 rounds with Tyson Fury. Conor (McGregor) made it 9 or 10 with Floyd.
“Anthony Pettis just beat Roy Jones Jr. I know Roy is friggin’ 60 years old or whatever. But I don’t know what the hell is going on. It’s crazy. I didn’t see the fight, but the fact that he went 10 rounds is unbelievable.”
When asked if Ngannou’s boxing success hurt the UFC, White scoffed at the notion.
“I don’t care,” White said. “Listen, these guys, at some point, everybody is going to move on. Everybody has to do what’s right for them and make money for their families, so whatever they’ve got to do, they’ve got to do.”
White has long been critical of the boxing model to the point that he considered launching Zuffa Boxing. Trump Jr. cited corrupt decisions in boxing and how there’s no real control of the money.
“It’s not even the corruption – you can’t build a business off it,” White responded. “The key to having something is building a business. When you talk about the NFL, the NBA, MLB, they took football, basketball and baseball and created a business out of it.
“That’s what we did with fighting, and it just can’t be done with boxing. It’s too crazy.”
