18 January 2023 , 12:56
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Francis Ngannou was demanding a three-fight deal to re-sign with the UFC that would have included two fights against Jon Jones.
Ngannou, 36, has been a free agent since last month but has now officially left the UFC and vacated his heavyweight title by refusing to sign a new contract. The Cameroonian was unhappy with several terms of his old contract that the UFC were unable to offer him in a new deal and Ngannou is now free to compete in boxing or another MMA promotion as the UFC has waived their right to match any offer he receives.
Typically UFC fighters are offered five to eight-fight contracts, but Ngannou was demanding a three-fight deal to re-sign the promotion among other exclusive terms. "I asked for three fights with no extension. One was Jon Jones, two was Stipe and [the third] hopefully Jones again. Out of those three fights I hoped that two of them were [against] Jones," he said on The MMA Hour.
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"I could have knocked out a three-fight deal in one year, if I'm not hurt and I'm healthy, then I can go do my boxing. I just wanted to owe them three fights and deliver that, then set free from the contract. Three fights would have been a maximum of 15-months, so that wouldn't have been a big deal."
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Ngannou claims he lost over $7million by turning down UFC contract offers and estimates that he would have made around $8million to fight Jones, who will now face Ciryl Gane for the vacant heavyweight title in March. Ngannou listed the three demands he wanted in a new contract that the UFC denied, which was one of the determining factors of his decision to leave the promotion.
Francis Ngannou has left the UFC after failing to agree to a new deal (Zuffa LLC)"I asked for a lot of things, which doesn't mean I was expecting all of those things, but I expected at least one or two of those things. I asked for a right to sponsorship, which we've been ripped of, we can't have sponsorship. I asked for health insurance, which we don't have, and I asked for somebody in the board meetings, a fighter advocate," Ngannou added.
"I couldn't have that stuff that I asked for, but I just wanted to know that some stuff that I do want would at least be in consideration. They said, 'no, we don't do business like that'. I said, 'yes, I can pay my health insurance', because at this point for me it's not a problem, but how about those guys that are at the bottom making $10,000 plus $10,000, or if they lose a fight $10,000? They can't really afford that."