UFC Hall of Famer Randy Couture has responded to some of UFC President Dana White’s critical remarks about Francis Ngannou.
Ngannou stunned the MMA world last week when he announced that the next chapter of his MMA career will take place in the PFL. He signed with the PFL after splitting from the UFC earlier this year.
The reaction to Ngannou’s PFL move has been mixed. Some are proud of Ngannou for sticking to his morals and beginning a new chapter, while others have accused him of dodging the UFC’s best.
One such critic is White, who recently went on a diatribe about Ngannou’s deal and the PFL’s recent spending spree. He hinted that the PFL’s business structure was based on ‘gimmick’ fights, a system that he alleged the UFC doesn’t focus on.
Couture, one of the top voices of the PFL, has defended Ngannou against White and the UFC’s reaction to his new deal.
Randy Couture To Dana White: “Why Worry About What We’re Doing?”
During an exclusive interview with MMANews, Couture reacted to White’s comments and criticism of Ngannou’s deal.
“I started to watch [a segment with Dana White on The MMA Hour] and I had to shut it off, I couldn’t even watch it anymore,” Couture said. “At the end of the day, it’s not about what they’re doing, it’s about what we’re doing. We’re trying to do the right things, stay focused on what we have, and not worry about the other promotions. We have to be ego-centric and keep pushing this promotion forward.
“That’s Peter Murray and Donn Davis’ attitude as well. We’re completely different, so why worry about what we’re doing? We’re getting ready to roll out a big pay-per-view and Francis is going to be a big part of that.”
Couture has a strained relationship with White going back to his UFC career. A series of contract disputes and tense negotiations with the promotion led to White and Couture never appearing on the same page.
Time will tell if Ngannou’s big gamble will pay off, but Couture feels White and the UFC paying attention to the PFL’s business dealings points to the emergence of one of MMA’s top platforms.
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