Francis Ngannou leaves UFC, White confirms
The top official also announced a bout between Jones and Ciryl Gane at UFC 285
UFC president Dana White has confirmed that Francis Ngannou parted ways with the company while announcing a bout between Jon Jones and Ciryl Gane at UFC 285.
Jones, who hasn't fought since defeating Dominick Reyes in February 2020, abandoned his light-heavyweight belt due to a compensation disagreement.
On March 4, he was scheduled to face heavyweight champion Francis Ngannou at UFC 285 in Las Vegas.
However, White revealed that the former champion has left the UFC despite being offered a deal that would make him "the highest-paid fighter in the history of the company".
"He feels like he's in a good position where he could fight lesser opponents and make more money. We're going to let him do that, release him from his contract and give up our right to match," the 53-year-old added.
It is worth mentioning here that Ngannou is unusually leaving the UFC. He is the world's top heavyweight and presently ranks sixth in the UFC men's pound-for-pound rankings.
Early in his championship tenure, the Cameroonian was at odds with the UFC. Because the two parties couldn't agree on a date for his first title defence, the organisation booked Gane to face Derrick Lewis for the interim heavyweight title in August 2021.
The relationship between Ngannou and the UFC grew even worse after Ngannou defeated Gane. Ngannou stated that he wanted better treatment from the UFC and not just more money. He desired a contract that would allow him to pursue other opportunities, such as a boxing battle against heavyweight champion Tyson Fury.
Jones holds the distinction of being the UFC's youngest champion, having won the belt for the first time at the age of 23. He successfully defended it 11 times in a row, with the lone setback coming from a disqualification.
He lost the championship in 2015 after being involved in a hit-and-run incident, and he lost it again in 2016 after testing positive for a prohibited substance.
Gane was defeated by Ngannou in a unanimous decision at UFC 270 in January 2022.
Comments