Conor McGregor believes Francis Ngannou made a mistake leaving the UFC despite signing a lucrative deal with the PFL.
Ngannou, 36, opted to vacate his UFC heavyweight title and part ways with the promotion in January after failing to reach an agreement over a new contract. The Cameroonian was expected to defend his heavyweight title against UFC legend Jon Jones but he turned down the fight to vacate his belt and has since signed with rival promotion PFL.
McGregor questioned Ngannou's decision before signing his recent deal and the Irishman doubled down on his criticism in a recent interview with Matchroom Boxing, stating: “I’m happy for Francis, first of all. Fair play to him. He’s done his thing. I still think he should have came to a resolution with the UFC. Who’s he going to fight? Who’s he going to fight that’s going to capture the general public? There’s no one. There’s no matchup that I can even think of, that I can even say to myself that is going to do big.”
What are your thoughts on Francis Ngannou leaving the UFC to sign with PFL? Let us know in the comments section below
McGregor commended Ngannou for negotiating a deal that will see his first PFL opponent also secure a $2million payday. The Irishman isn't optimistic that Ngannou will secure a boxing fight against heavyweight stars such as Tyson Fury or Anthony Joshua, with 'AJ' recently turning down the idea of a "gimmick" fight against the former UFC champion.
“He’s a powerful man," McGregor added. "I saw him in California in amazing condition, working on his physical therapy, and I thought, ‘He looks very well.' but I just can’t put a name or a thing that will make the general public jump. I wish him well and I’m happy for him, he got equity and all the rest of it but he should have stayed. They’re stubborn in the UFC, as well. So more power, and all the best."
Ngannou recently took a swipe at his critics, including McGregor, by insisting that leaving the UFC was the right decision. “It wasn’t hard [to ignore criticism] because I knew what I was working on. I knew that I had the best deal. I knew they were just talking out of ignorance," he said on the DAZN MMA Show.
"They didn’t know what was going on, it was just general speculation. When you are doing stuff that people don’t understand your vision or where you are coming from and where you are going, it’s hard for people, they are questioning if you are wrong or if it’s the right thing."
