Free agent Francis Ngannou offered a response to UFC president Dana White’s recent press conference comments addressing his exit from the promotion.
Ngannou, the now-former undiputed UFC heavyweight champion, could not come to an agreement with the promotion for a new contract, which resulted in his full release. The promotion announced the vacant title will be up for grabs at UFC 285 in March, where Jon Jones will take on former interim champ Ciryl Gane.
After the promotion’s first event of the year, White took questions from the media about Ngannou’s release, which were later met with heavy criticism. Now, Ngannou himself has offered his replies to White’s comments about why the negotiations fell apart.
With a potential bout against Jon Jones on the table, he debunked the notion that he was scared to fight or wanted to fight lesser competition for more money, as White suggested.
“They have also said that I’m scared of fighting Jon Jones or somebody else, which I don’t know where they came from with that one,” Ngannou stated in a video posted to his YouTube channel. “That sounds very ridiculous, in my opinion, with all due respect. Because I’ve been calling for this fight for over two years. I’ve been waiting for this fight forever.
“And I’ve been fighting guys even with one knee, with injury. And now, why do I be scared of them? While I feel even more confident? No, I’m not scared. The only thing that I’m scared of is to be trapped. Is not to lose my freedom, which I value very much. You guys know how the UFC contract can be: restrictive. As an independent contractor, you don’t really have a say in that contract. You don’t even have a right, so, I can’t do that.”
White has stated many times in the past, and in Ngannou’s situation, that fighters “don’t have to be here” when there are hiccups in negotiations for a fight or a new contract deal. Ngannou laughed at the notion, explaining that the restrictions placed on fighters under UFC contract make it very difficult to control their own career.
In regards to why things broke down between both sides here, Ngannou has already made it clear this was about more than money.
“I signed my last contract in December 2017,” Ngannou said. “Even at the time, I knew it wasn’t a good contract. But I knew I had to earn my position, become a champion, have more value, in order to negotiate a better deal for me. I need to add more value to myself, and that’s what I’ve been doing in the past five years, which is OK. I never really complained with that contract, no matter what happened. The only thing that I wanted was is the right to terminate that contract, as I should, and move on into the next one. I do believe that I have that right, at least. I mean, that’s called freedom, to be able to terminate a contract and start another one. If the new one doesn’t suit your condition, you’re also free not to sign without it going into a bad blood. That’s how I feel about it.
“It’s just unfortunate that we didn’t come to a term. I wish we could have, but it is what it is. As an independent contractor, I have to look up to myself, and do what’s right for me, and everyone out there should do the same for themself.”
Ngannou understands the importance of the next step in his career. If he transitions to the boxing ring to take on one of the big name heavyweights like Tyson Fury, who he recently stepped into the ring with to promote a potential fight, remains to be seen.
Ultimately, Ngannou’s career is in his complete control at the moment, which is what he wants more than anything else.
