Tyson Fury, Deontay Wilder, or Jake Paul? What is Francis Ngannou’s next move after the shocking release from UFC?
Francis Ngannou and Tyson Fury (Image Courtesy: The New York Post)
Francis Ngannou is no longer a part of UFC as the fighter has been stripped of his position as the UFC Heavyweight champion. Ngannou became the champion by defeating Stipe Miocic at UFC 260. After that, he also defended his title once against Ciryl Gane at UFC 270.
Following this, ‘The Predator’ confirmed that he is suffering from a knee injury which forced the fighter to be inactive for months. Many fans thought that Ngannou will be making his comeback in 2023 but that seems not to be the case. The rift between UFC and Ngannou started long ago when the fighter slammed the promotion for not giving appropriate paychecks to its fighters. The Cameroonian also refused to renew his contract for not getting the fight purse that he wanted. It was expected that both parties would be able to squash the beef and come to an agreement but things are different now.
Recently in a media scrum, UFC president Dana White mentioned that they have released Ngannou from the UFC contract after much consideration. “We are going to release (Francis Ngannou) from his contract. We are giving up the right to match. He can go wherever he wants and do whatever he wants. We offered Ngannou a deal that would make him the highest-paid heavyweight of all time. He turned it down,” said White.
Money has always been the main factor between the two parties and it makes sense that Ngannou chose not to continue. However, it is hard to believe that he turned down the offer to be the biggest paid superstar in the history of UFC.
Where will Francis Ngannou fight next?
It’s very common for fighters to join other promotions after leaving the UFC. In most cases they settle for something less, however, with Francis Ngannou it will be different. The fighter left UFC to earn more and will not accept any contract which is comparatively less than UFC.
Ngannou has always shown his interest in boxing, the fighter also mentioned that the UFC didn’t allow him to do so. Ngannou and Heavyweight champion, Tyson Fury both have already talked about fighting each other several times. After beating Dillan Whyte, Fury welcomed Ngannou to the ring where both fighters confirmed their mutual interest in the fight.
Deontay Wilder earlier made his boxing comeback after a year hiatus. Recently, when asked about plans for an exhibition bout, Wilder responded by saying, “Maybe one day.” A potential boxing bout between Wilder and Ngnanou will definitely be an amazing bout as both fighters are known for their brutal knockout powers.
Recently, Jake Paul joined PFL and immediately offered Nate Diaz a boxing match. The reason for which Paul opted for PFL is that the promotion is offering 50 percent of the income to its fighters. This could be a good opportunity for a superstar like Francis Ngannou to make a move and earn money. In PFL, Ngannou might get the chance to box with Tyson Fury and both will be able to break some pay-per-view records.
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Soumya Ranjan
(2167 Articles Published)