Francis Ngannou has been released from his UFC contract and is officially a free agent. After almost two years of protracted negotiations, the former UFC Heavyweight Champion and the UFC reached an impasse in contract negotiations.
Facing the media after Strickland vs. Imavov, Dana White confirmed that Francis Ngannou had been released from his UFC contract and was immediately free to pursue other opportunities:
It is thought that the dispute between Ngannou and the UFC was never about money, with Francis leaving an estimated $7 million on the table by turning down previous offers. Instead, Ngannou was seeking assurances about his freedom to pursue other opportunities outside of the UFC as an independent contractor such as a hybrid boxing fight with lineal Heavyweight boxing champion Tyson Fury.
The UFC’s plan according to White was to have Francis Ngannou welcome Jon Jones to heavyweight, but ultimately the fight could not get made:
Instead, the UFC will move forward with Jon Jones vs. Cyril Gane for the vacant heavyweight title at UFC 285.
As well as now fighting for the belt, Dana White confirmed that Jon Jones has signed a new deal with the UFC:
What’s Next for Ngannou?
Until Ngannou’s next move is officially announced, speculation will run rampant on what he will do next. Given that he turned down a significant amount of money with the UFC, it is reasonable to suspect that wherever he fights next will also allow him the freedom to box if the opportunity arises. So where could Ngannou sign next? Let’s look at the leading options.
The PFL
The leading contender to sign Ngannou is likely the PFL. Not only is it reasonable to expect that Ngannou would dominate their regular season to win the $1 million grand prize, they would also commit to him with a significant base contract as they have with Kayla Harrison who earned an estimated $1 million per fight before tournament and PPV money.
The PFL is also now the clear number two organisation in the US, significantly outperforming Bellator in viewing figures:
The timing is perfect to capitalise on their recent growth, having partnered with Jake Paul to promote their recent establish “Super Fight” division. In these events, PPV revenues are expected to be split 50/50 with fighters. They have taken several rounds of investment including $30 million specifically towards building out their PPV model meaning that they have the funds and the momentum to make a real push to sign Ngannou.
As well as this, the PFL has allowed Claressa Shields to continue boxing whilst developing her career in MMA. It also seems that Jake Paul will continue to box. Given this, it seems extremely unlikely that Ngannou would not be allowed to accept boxing fights whilst simultaneously competing in MMA.
Bellator
Having ceded ground to the PFL, Bellator could make a splash by signing Ngannou. Backed by the bottomless pockets of ViacomCBS, they would have the finances to make the deal happen. They can also provide Francis with some of the other opportunities he has been seeking.
Scott Coker has a reputation of being a fighter friendly promoter. He has allowed stars such as Michael ‘Venom’ Page and Cris Cyborg to pursue boxing fights. Even Dillon Danis has been given the opportunity, albeit if he has failed to seize it. He would almost certainly allow Ngannou to do this, whilst fighting in their Heavyweight division.
Ngannou would also would immediately be given a title shot. Current champion Ryan Bader is fighting Fedor in February in what has been billed as Emelianenko‘s retirement fight. In the unlikely event that Fedor wins this fight, yet another U-Turn on retirement would not be surprising. Bellator would be able to make a fight between the only two fighters Dana White admittedly could not sign. Scott Coker couldn’t write a better script if he tried.
Finally, Bellator allows fighters to source their own sponsors to display on their fight trunks. The PFL and the UFC do not. This was a point of contention for Ngannou during his tenure with the UFC, claiming that he lost a million dollar opportunity due to these rules:
Boxing
The least likely option is that Ngannou pursues boxing on a full-time basis. Originally when he arrived in Paris, his intention was to become a professional boxer. However, he was introduced to MMA by Ferdinand Lopez and never had a professional fight. Ngannou may choose to sign with a boxing promoter and pursue fights against the likes of Deontay Wilder and Anthony Joshua. However, at age 36 time is not on Ngannou’s side to forge a true boxing career.
Do you think Francis leaving the UFC was the right option? Where will sign next? Let us know in the comments!
Featured image credits to Embed from Getty Images
