Francis Ngannou has been told he is "disrespectful" after demanding re-negotiation following each fight of his new UFC deal.
The UFC heavyweight champion has not fought since beating Cyril Gane in a January title defence, which saw the heavyweight fight with torn knee ligaments. Ngannou has also been trying to negotiate a fresh deal with the UFC, which has led to a long dispute over the financial terms of his deal.
Ngannou has teased a career in the boxing ring in search of a more lucrative financial reward as negotiations continue to rumble on with UFC president Dana White. The Cameroon star has reportedly demanded the terms of his contract are re-negotiated dependant on each fight he completes, with a potential showdown against Jon Jones on the cards.
However UFC legend Chael Sonnen believes his stance needs to be altered as it could have a knock-on effect on the entire roster of over 500 fighters. "He believes that that's reasonable," Sonnen said when assessing Ngannou's contract dilemma during a video on his YouTube channel. "And the reason I tell you it's disrespectful.
"If I'm the business guy and I'm taking all the risk but I'm guaranteeing it not matter how bad it hurts - those numbers right now - on time every time, I'll figure it out. There's an appreciation that must be shown. I don't know what's going to come in, that's a risk every time, but I can know what's going out. And you want to talk?
"You want to slow me down? Should we do lunch? I mean, can we just get out a calculator and a calendar? I have 556 of you and I do this every Saturday. And that's where I tell you the lack of respect comes. That's silly and that's ridiculous, and that's not the way it's done."
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Ngannou underwent knee surgery after his last fight which has further delayed any resolution of his current situation, with his return delayed until 2023. After the recent UFC 281 card, White appeared to offer a positive hint that a new deal will soon be ironed out, suggesting Ngannou will defend his title against UFC legend Jones.
And the current title holder would like the challenge of Jones with the prospect of a bigger payday looming. "As my preferred opponent, it would be Jon Jones obviously. ," he told SiriusXM. That's what I've always wanted, I need that big payday. Also this has to be a big statement, fighting Jon Jones is more than a payday.
"It's a big challenge, the guy has been dominating the sport for over a decade so I think he's a very good guy. My contract status right now is still the same. "I hope in the next two to three months, we get to solve that. It’s not surprising to me. I think we’re not in a rush."
