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In the past few days, nobody in the world of mixed martial arts (MMA) has been more talked about than former UFC heavyweight champion Francis Ngannou.
Over the weekend, it was revealed that after failing to agree to a new deal, the UFC decided to let Ngannou walk and strip him of the heavyweight title.
According to UFC president Dana White, he felt that Ngannou did not want to take risks and would rather fight lesser opponents for more money.
White even went as far as hinting that Ngannou was afraid to fight the best fighters in the world, someone like ex-UFC light heavyweight titleholder Jon Jones.
Speaking of Jones, the man widely regarded as the greatest light heavyweight of all time will now be making his heavyweight debut opposite No. 1-ranked contender Cyril Gane for the newly-vacant UFC heavyweight championship.
While it’s clear that the UFC has moved on from Ngannou, there is still a myriad of questions for those who follow the sport with regard to Ngannou’s future and how the UFC deal ultimately fizzled out.
Fortunately, it didn’t take too long for Ngannou to break his silence as he came on The MMA Hour with Ariel Helwani on Tuesday, January 17 to share his side of the story.
According to White, the offer that Ngannou turned down would have made him the highest-paid heavyweight in UFC history.
Ngannou maintained, however, that it wasn’t all about the money and tried to lobby for other carrots, like health insurance, sponsorships, and appointing an advocate for athletes.
“I asked for sponsorship, which we’ve been ripped off, we can’t have sponsorships. I asked for health insurance. We couldn’t have. I asked for a fighter advocate, somebody in the board meetings who advocates for the fighters. I asked for that,” he revealed.
When asked if the UFC considered any of his requests, Ngannou bared that he was told that the UFC doesn’t conduct business like that.
It’s important to note that Ngannou was lobbying for sponsorships and health insurance for every UFC fighter, and not just himself.
Ngannou continued by explaining why he wanted to ask for health insurance for the fighters.
“At this point, health insurance for me is not a problem, but how about the guys at the bottom? They can’t really afford health insurance. And I have been there, so it’s something I carry in my heart,” he shared.
Ngannou also detailed the contract that he wanted from the UFC—a three-fight deal with no extensions that would have allowed him to pursue professional boxing at the end of the pact.
Unfortunately for Ngannou, the UFC didn’t want to have anything to do with boxing.
“They didn’t want anything to do with boxing. They were like, if, and only if, and in good faith, and I’m like, I’m not betting on that,” Ngannou mentioned.
In the three-fight agreement that Ngannou proposed, the Cameroonian knockout artist detailed that he had envisioned facing Jon Jones, Stipe Miocic, and then a rematch with Jones.
Ngannou also touched on how the UFC and its most visible authority figure handled the matter.
As many expected, including Ngannou himself, it wasn’t going to be pleasant.
White indirectly slammed Ngannou for being out of shape and his alleged unwillingness to step inside the cage opposite top-tier opposition.
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With everything that was said during last weekend’s press conference, Ngannou remained unbothered.
“Dana is Dana. I don’t care about what he says,” Ngannou stated. “Dana cannot hurt me. From where I come from, I have heard a lot worse than that, and I’m still here… What I know is that I’m here, and I have a good future.”
“He’s upset. He’s not happy about this situation. He saw his champion go away, which is something that probably never happened.”
With regards to his future, Ngannou shared that he’s entertaining offers from MMA and boxing promoters.
“The Predator” hopes to get a deal done soon in time for a return to action in July.
When asked about what he’s looking for in his next contract, Ngannou once leaned on having freedom.
“I think I just need some respect, more respect at least. It’s very important. I need some freedom. I need to feel like a man, own my freedom, control my destiny,” Ngannou declared. “I don’t want anybody to decide for me. I think I’m man enough to decide for my own, and so far, I haven’t been doing a bad job at all.”
Check out the entire interview below:
