A huge UFC champion might no longer be signed to the company following the expiry of their contract. Heavyweight king Francis Ngannou is said to have let his current deal run through which allegedly ended late last year.
Contract disputes between Ngannou and the UFC have been well-publicised over the last 18 months. The Cameroonian has been campaigning for higher pay and angling for a move elsewhere if his demands were not met.
Elsewhere in this case was the world of boxing. With his explosive KO power, many have wondered how ‘The Predator’ would fare in the sport. Making an in-ring appearance after Tyson Fury defeated Dillian Whyte in April 2022.
Confronting the Gypsy king, in what appeared to be a set-up for a potential super fight. The pair of behemoths shared a respectful back and forth in which they outlined their plan to fight.
Francis Ngannou – UFC Champion
Francis Ngannou rose the Heavyweight ranks quickly. Speeding his way up the ladder, with his quick finishes and frightening KO power, he put together a six-fight winning streak, in just two years. Earning his shot at gold in January 2018, Ngannou’s run came to an end when it met the wrestling prowess of Stipe Miocic.
He would then lose his next bout, to fellow hard hitter Derrick Lewis. In a fight many MMA fans wish to forget, the lack of output made this one lacklustre, to say the least. His stock fell further when the UFC president would lambast the future champion publicly.
Moving on from this with a change in teams he soon rediscovered his form. Putting together an unbelievable four-fight first-round finish streak to earn a second shot at the gold. He’d dethrone the champion Stipe, with a second-round KO.
He even defended his belt early last year, against former training partner and friend Ciryl Gane. At this point, the contract dispute was in the public eye, with the UFC seemingly hoping for a Gane win. This didn’t happen as Francis showed his MMA evolution and produced a shocking wrestle-heavy approach to win the fight via decision.
A Huge Loss for the UFC
If this is true, this could be a catastrophic loss for the company. Losing one of their biggest draws and current Heavyweight champion is never a good look. However, when it’s a highly publicised incident over a pay and contract dispute it’s even worse.
This could set a precedent for others to follow suit. With other big-name fighters like Jon Jones already speaking about fighter pay, or lack of it’s becoming something the UFC needs to address.
Rival MMA promotion PFL has proved a viable option for those who want to try their skills elsewhere. With their one million dollar tournaments, many fighters who would be on a $12k show, $12k win contract have gone on to become millionaires.
As they’ve just announced the surprise signing of Jake Paul to their roster. Alongside the signing, it was announced that going forward that 50% of all revenue will go towards the fighters in PFL. This dwarfs the UFC’s alleged 18%.
Now, this all might be hearsay and Francis might still be firmly under contract with issues sorted behind the scenes. However, with the year MMA has had, just ten days in anything seems possible at this point.
Featured image credits to Embed from Getty Images
