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Dana White, the president of the UFC, recently declared that potential negotiations with Francis Ngannou, their former heavyweight champion, are off the table in the future.
Francis Ngannou of Cameroon left the UFC early this year, giving up the heavyweight title. The two sides were unable to reach an agreement after months of tense talks. Ngannou defeated Stipe Miocic via knockout to claim the heavyweight championship. He then faced Ciryl Gane, a longtime training partner, to defend his UFC heavyweight world championship.
Ngannou clarified that he was interested in testing out boxing, but it wasn't just for the money or for that reason. The 36-year-old athlete stated that he was fighting for sponsors, health insurance, and a seat at the UFC's top table for competitors. Ngannou reportedly received a contract offer from the UFC worth over $8 million per bout.
The vacant heavyweight title will be decided at UFC 285 between legendary fighter Jon Jones and previous interim champion Ciryl Gane. In a news conference held prior to UFC 285, Dana White stated that Francis Ngannou would never return to the organization. The head of the UFC stated:
“No, no. We negotiated with him for years. It’s over, that’s over. He’ll never be in the UFC again … Yeah, I never say never, but I’ll give you a never on that one. We tried.”
Ngannou is presently weighing offers from numerous different MMA and boxing promotion companies. Fans of combat sports eagerly anticipate Francis Ngannou's next move as they watch it unfold from all over the globe.