The Francis Ngannou saga is continuing with new twists and turns every day. The most recent development in the former UFC heavyweight champion’s story came with ONE Championship declining to sign him. While many initial assumptions were that Ngannou might have overplayed his hand, the latter revelations spoke a different story.
Ngannou made a sensational exit from the UFC in January 2023 after turning down a deal that would have supposedly made him the highest-paid UFC heavyweight of all time. The Cameroonian’s exit was therefore not just about money. Since his exit, he has not yet fought or signed for another promotion.
One of the hottest free agents at the time, Ngannou has since been turned down by three promotions- Bellator, BKFC, and ONE Championship. Of the three, BKFC’s president David Feldman openly stated that Ngannou was asking for “unrealistic money” that they could not afford. Meanwhile, ONE Championship’s Chatri Sityodtong said they pulled out of the race to sign him over non-financial matters.
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After the recent developments with ONE, Francis Ngannou made the headlines again as many questioned his decisions. Now, ‘The Predator’ has made a snide remark about the promoters in the business to let out his frustration. Furthermore, his coach Eric Nicksick has clarified some details about the proposed UFC deal that Ngannou walked away from.
Francis Ngannou and his coach retaliate against rumors
After the latest news about his failed signing with ONE, Francis Ngannou took a jibe at promoters in his latest tweet. He tweeted a picture of the DC comics villain Harvey Dent/ Two-Face and captioned it “Some promoters man” along with a laughing emoji.
Some promoters man 🤣 pic.twitter.com/CF4WyXIzv9
— Francis Ngannou (@francis_ngannou) May 3, 2023
Additionally, coach Eric Nicksick fact-checked a fan on Twitter regarding the UFC deal that his fighter had turned down. When the UFC announced Ngannou’s exit, Dana White said the proposed deal would have made him the highest-paid heavyweight in UFC history, surpassing even Brock Lesnar’s $ 8M deal.
Read More– After ONE Championship Snub, Francis Ngannou Is ‘Very Close’ to Signing for an MMA Promotion
When a fan brought this up on Twitter, Erick Nicksick said, “It wasn’t 8 million PER fight. Had he lost to Jon, his pay would’ve significantly dropped. That was one of the hang ups in resigning, he had no protection if he lost to arguably the MMA GOAT. I think there’s a lot of misinformation being tossed around….”
It wasn’t 8 million PER fight. Had he lost to Jon, his pay would’ve significantly dropped. That was one of the hang ups in resigning, he had no protection if he lost to arguably the MMA GOAT. I think there’s a lot of misinformation being tossed around…. https://t.co/CA0jFwdS7Z
— Eric Nicksick (@Eric_XCMMA) May 3, 2023
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Nicksick’s revelation could change the perspective on how many fans and pros looked at the lucrative UFC deal. In the meantime, this also shows how there’s always more to a story than what we see on the mainstream.
What do you think of the reactions from Ngannou’s camp? Do you think the heavyweight is making the right choices for his career?
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Let us know in the comments.