Former UFC Heavyweight champion Francis Ngannou Finally Explains why he is no longer the UFC heavyweight champion — after turning down a contract that would have made him the highest-paid heavyweight fighter in UFC history. In an interview conducted by Arielhelwani on MMA Hour, he said his contract with UFC he was never free.
“In that contract, I’m not free, I’m not an independent contractor… I hand over all power to [UFC] and I’ve seen in the past how you hold that power over me. I don’t want that again”
“I felt like I was slapped in the face with money. Like, ‘Take the money and shut up.’ That didn’t work with me’ He added.
In that interview with MMA, Francis Ngannou asked for healthcare and the UFC denied.
“I wanted the right to have sponsorships (presumably in-cage), health insurance, an advocate in board meetings that would represent the fighters.
He was fairly certain that he would not get those things, but wanted to make it known that those were however the things he wanted.
He equally asked the UFC for a three-fight deal, with no extension and hoped that the three fights would be against Jon Jones (x2) and Stipe Miocic.He estimated the new deal would pay him “around” $8 million to fight Jon Jones at UFC 285. He then expected to complete trilogy with Stipe Miocic and then rematch Jones before making a turn to professional boxing, where high-dollar matchups with Tyson Fury and Anthony Joshua loomed in the interview by MMA.
In an extended interview on Tuesday’s The MMA Hour, Ngannou went in-depth on negotiations with the UFC that led to his nearly unprecedented departure from the promotion as a champion. He revealed that he was not sure whether what the UFC offered him would have made him the highest paid heavyweight in UFC history because nobody knows what anyone has made historically.
Francis Ngannou tells Arielhelwani that he feels comfortable representing himself in future negotiations because he knows what he wants.
He says that he wants respect, dignity and freedom – to control his destiny and decide what he wants to do on his own.
Speaking to Arielhelwani on MMA he insisted that Dana White can never hurt him.
“Dana White cannot hurt me… Where I’ve come from, I’ve heard a lot worse than that”.
The Champion however said he is open to soliciting offers from MMA and boxing promoters.