Sports: Francis Ngannou Stripped off his UFC heavyweight championship title

According to UFC president Dana White, Francis Ngannou is no longer the UFC heavyweight champion and is no longer a UFC fighter. This was confirmed yesterday, Saturday, 14th January 2023 by the UFC president as both Francis Ngannou and the UFC promotions failed to agree on a new contract for Ngannou.

Francis Ngannou became the UFC heavyweight champion by winning Stipe Miocic and Cyril Gaine in the UFC 260 and 270 respectively. His next fight was set to be against Jon Jones later this year. But as it stands, this will not happen as Francis Ngannou has been declared no longer a UFC fighter. Dana White said yesterday in a press conference  that:

“We offered Francis a deal that would have made him the highest-paid heavyweight in the history of the company,” White said. “More than [Brock] Lesnar, more than anybody, and he turned the deal down. We get to this point where I’ve told you guys before if you don’t want to be here, you don’t have to be here.

“I think Francis is in a place right now where he doesn’t want to take a lot of risks. [He] feels he’s in a good position where he could fight lesser opponents and make more money. So we’re going to let him do that.

“We’re going to release him from his contract, we’re going to give up our right to match, and he can go wherever he wants and do whatever he wants. That’s where we’re at.”

The UFC has been in talks with now the former champion for a while now over a new contract but seems both parties have not been able to come to a common term as Francis Ngannou has always insisted that, if is to sign a new deal with the UFC, it will that which will give him the freedom to sign for other promotions including boxing.

“We did everything we could to try to make this fight happen and try to give him the fight, but he’s got it in his head that there’s bigger opportunities outside the UFC with lesser opponents,” White said.

“You’re going to fight arguably the greatest fighter of all time. You’d be the highest-paid heavyweight ever in heavyweight history, or you think there’s more money out there to fight somebody who isn’t the greatest of all time, somebody who is a lesser opponent. You’ll have to ask Francis that question, but in my opinion, that’s what it is.”

“He’s the second guy that we couldn’t come to a deal with – now it’s him and Fedor [Emelianenko],” White said. “We did everything we could to get him to take the deal. I think [UFC COO] Hunter [Campbell] went to 350 dinners with him. We did what we could do. It just didn’t work out.”

“I think he doesn’t want to take the risk,” White said of Ngannou. “You’re going in against Jon Jones, the best of all time, and at the end of the day there’s nothing wrong with that, that’s just not what we do here. The best fight the best here.

“There’s plenty of places where you can do that, and that’s where he’ll end up. He’ll end up somewhere where somebody will throw some money at him, and he’s going to fight fights he thinks he can win.”

“Whatever he decides to do, it’s been fun while he’s been here,” White said about Ngannou. “I wish him the best. It’s all good.”

Source: MMA Fighting