During a recent Press conference, Former Middleweight Champion Israel Adesanya airs his support for Francis Ngannou‘s Decision to leave the UFC Promotion.
The early last year 2022, Adesanya, Kamaru, and Ngannou were popularly known as the “Three Kings” due to the fact that they were all Africans and Champions in their various divisions in the UFC. Adesanya and Kamaru lost their titles in their last bout and Francis Ngannou couldn’t renew a contract with the UFC prompting the heavyweight to part ways with UFC promotion thereby losing his heavyweight belt. The former champion opted for a better contract for himself and all UFC fighters.
Israel Adesanya while speaking backstage at UFC 284, expressed his support for Francis Ngannou.
He said: “Francis made the right call, He’s the one that kicked in the door. We’ve all been behind him, we’ve been saying this for how long, if you guys go back on the tapes’.
“I’ve been saying the same thing. I’m not gonna harp on about it, but he’s right, it’s little things — he’s asking for things that should be mandatory. He wasn’t asking for, you know, crazy, ridiculous diva-ish demands. There’s something as little as for the guys fighting on the opening [bout], having the fourth or third corner man being paid for and the hotel is being paid for. That sets them up nicely, and they don’t have to fork it out of their 10 and 10, to pay for their fourth or third corner. Little things like that.”
Francis Ngannou said he requested a three-fight deal, the promotion waiving extension clauses, and even health insurance for all fighters, UFC to allow fighters to solicit outside sponsors, provide health insurance and welcome a fighter advocate to negotiations; all of which were not accepted by UFC. All these made him not re-sign with the MMA promotion and he rather chose to walk away as a free agent which he is now.
Adesanya went on to say he Francis Ngannou is the greatest Heavyweight of all time in all of MMA sports and that he thinks the former Heavyweight Champion will make a comeback in UFC. Who knows maybe one day all three former champs will regain their title and bring a UFC event to Africa.
“I think he’ll come back [to the UFC], “He’s the greatest heavyweight we’ve ever had. Not not even just like in the UFC, but in history. He left on his own terms with the belt, never lost it. … So I feel he’s gonna do what he has to do in boxing or wherever else. But it’s a great hit to the company. I know he’ll be back, though. He’ll be back.”
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