The MMA community was in shock when it was announced that UFC heavyweight champion Francis Ngannou will no longer be a member of the organization.
Ngannou, who hasn’t fought since beating Ciryl Gane in January 2022, was recovering from knee surgery.
The news broke after UFC Vegas 67. Gane will fight the returning Jon Jones at UFC 285 for the now-vacant title on March 4.
Ngannou's exit causes a shakeup not only in UFC but also for the future of the 36-year-old MMA champion. While he stated he would “never say never” to a possible return to the UFC, there are plenty of options now for Ngannou. Where will “The Predator” end up next following a dominant run in the UFC?
Why did Francis Ngannou leave UFC?
While Ngganou recovers from knee surgery, the UFC opted to waive its matching rights clause, making him a free agent.
Before turning the page on what's next, it's imperative to understand why he left UFC in the first place. After all, those factors play into his next move.
At the heart of the dispute: fighter pay.
“We’ve been negotiating with (Ngannou) for more than two years,” White said to the media, via MMA Junkie. “We offered Francis a deal that would’ve made him the highest-paid heavyweight in the history of the company – more than (Brock) Lesnar, more than anybody, and he turned the deal down.”
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Francis Ngannou requests during UFC negotiations
So why did Ngannou turn down White's offer? He brought up specific issues when negotiating with the UFC, many of which extended beyond his own personal deal.
Speaking on Ariel Helwani's MMA Hour, he told Helwani that he wanted to try and compromise with the UFC. Things discussed in several meetings included:
- three-fight deal
- right to sponsorship
- health insurance
- fighter advocate to represent fighters in meetings
Clearly, those requests when unheeded and now Ngannou is on the media tour to discuss his future plans.
Will Francis Ngannou switch to boxing?
One of the most obvious choices for Ngannou could be to trade his MMA gloves for boxing gloves. After all, his recent history and desires indicate he will head towards that route.
Ngannou started boxing at 22 and, at 26, wanted to pursue a career in it. While in Paris, he met Fernand Lopez, who swayed him into joining the world of MMA. Ngannou has been an MMA fighter since 2013.
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Speaking to Helwani, Ngannou stated that boxing promoters have reached out to him since becoming a free agent. He added that fighter that make sense to him to face include Tyson Fury and Anthony Joshua. Fury, the WBC heavyweight champion, is an interesting option. "The Gypsy King" has teased a fight with Ngannou before, including offering a unique option of a bout in a boxing ring with MMA gloves.
After knocking out Dillian Whyte in April 2022, Fury called out Ngannou, who entered the ring to pose with Fury. The fight to make for Fury is an undisputed heavyweight title fight against Oleksandr Usyk. However, depending on the asking price and how negotiations go, could we see Ngannou face Fury?
Will Francis Ngannou join the PFL?
If Ngannou decides to continue his MMA career, signing with the Professional Fighters League is an enticing option.
Per the California State Athletic Commission, Ngannou made about $600,000 in his final UFC fight against Gane. With the PFL, Ngannou could take home $1 million if he won the organization's heavyweight tournament. Recently, the PFL has aggressively added big-name fighters, and Ngannou could end up being the biggest pickup in company history.
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Don’t forget about the Jake Paul effect. The PFL signed Paul while creating the Super Fight division. The Super Fight division will be a unique weight class, where fighters can earn at least 50% of the PFL’s pay-per-view revenue.
Ngannou’s mom recently wore a PFL shirt in a photo with him. However, he told Helwani that it was a complete coincidence. Looking to be in the mix and adding fuel the fire, the PFL posted a cryptic tweet following the Ngannou news.
— PFL (@PFLMMA) January 15, 2023
Will Francis Ngannou join Bellator?
Like the PFL, Bellator has signed big-name stars to the promotion over the years. The promotion has a competitive heavyweight division, led by heavyweight champion Ryan Bader.
President Scott Coker recently republished an article where he expressed interest in Ngannou following Bellator 274.
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“We haven’t talked to him because he’s still under contract. He still has championship fights, but if he’s a free agent one day and you know the timing’s right, we feel it’s a good fit, and you know, we’ll decide that time,” Coker said, via Sportskeeda. “The philosophy is still the same. Look, if you’re a free agent and you want to come shop your wares and your brand and your business, come talk to us because we are in the business of signing the biggest and the best free agents on the planet.”
Outside of Bader, fighters in the division include Linton Vassell, Valentin Moldavsky, Cheick Kongo, and Fedor Emelianenko.
Fedor will face Bader for the heavyweight title in February. He is expected to retire after, win or lose. However, if he won, and Bellator was close to signing Ngannou, could Fedor hold off retirement to face the former UFC champion?