Joe Rogan gets honest about the "real tragedy" between Francis Ngannou and UFC's relationship

Joe Rogan recently looked at Francis Ngannou's fallout with the UFC with a sense of frustration. What bothered him most was that the UFC and the former heavyweight champion could not find a way to keep working together.

Ngannou walked away from the promotion after his contract expired in early 2023, shortly after beating Ciryl Gane to defend his title. Talks for a new deal collapsed since Ngannou wanted more freedom than the UFC was willing to offer. He pushed for the chance to box while still fighting in MMA.

However, the UFC’s standard exclusivity clauses became a sticking point. Ngannou eventually moved to the Professional Fighters League (PFL), signing a deal that allowed him to box while also taking on an executive role with PFL Africa.

Dana White has consistently countered with his version of the story and has also taken shots at Ngannou’s character. Rogan spoke about the fallout during a conversation on episode #2379 of his podcast with American actor Matthew McConaughey. He said:

"He's a massive human. [The] guy's so big. That's a real tragedy that him and the UFC couldn't figure it out. That bothers me a lot because that guy was the scariest heavyweight champion of all time, for sure. He put guys in orbit. He would hit them, and you just go, 'Oh!' It would hurt you, like, watching it. You're like, 'Oh no.' All men are not created equal. That's another problem with fighting."

Check out Joe Rogan's comments below (2:28:00):

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When Joe Rogan compared Francis Ngannou to Mike Tyson

Back in 2017, UFC color commentator Joe Rogan claimed that Francis Ngannou had the potential to spark a heavyweight era similar to the Mike Tyson days. His comments came after Ngannou’s thunderous knockout of Alistair Overeem at UFC 218. The viral finish instantly pushed the Cameroonian into a title fight against Stipe Miocic at UFC 220.

At the time, the UFC was searching for new stars with Ronda Rousey stepping into WWE, Conor McGregor outside competition, and Georges St-Pierre uncertain about his future. Rogan felt Ngannou’s knockout power could turn him into the sport’s next box office sensation.

Speaking on episode #4 of the JRE with Justin Wren, Rogan said:

"Now they've got a star. I think Ngannou, one or two more fights, you're going to be looking at Mike Tyson days. That's what I think. You're going to watch fights just to see how long these motherf*ckers can survive against this guy. That's what I think. That could be their big, breakout star."