Despite recent negotiations with ONE Championship, Francis Ngannou remains a free agent in the field of mixed martial arts.
The CEO of ONE Championship, Chatri Sityodtong, has claimed that the former UFC heavyweight champion was unreasonable with the list of demands he presented. Sityodtong made this statement to Daily Star Sport prior to ONE’s inaugural event in the United States.
ONE Championship CEO Chatri Sityodtong told the South China Morning Post that after a three-hour meeting, he will no longer be pursuing Francis Ngannou.
It's been over 400 days since his last fight. pic.twitter.com/tsbch1bf5i
— ESPN MMA (@espnmma) May 2, 2023
“He was asking for a seat at the board of directors, he was asking for him to determine his opponent’s pay. We offered him £16million ($20million) guaranteed, the money wasn’t enough, he wanted all of these other non-financial terms that didn’t make a lot of sense. We obviously can’t give a seat at the board of directors, that doesn’t make any sense, he would be a fish out of water [in that position].”
In a conversation with the South China Morning Post, the CEO of ONE Championship had previously disclosed that negotiations had collapsed, saying:
“After careful reflection, we decided not to submit a final offer. Francis is a good guy and a good champion. I wish him continued success and happiness. At the end of the day, I didn’t feel Francis and I were fully aligned on non-financial matters. It is nothing personal. It is just a lack of alignment.”
Francis’s choices in the field of mixed martial arts are becoming limited, as most promotions have failed to reach a contract with him. Though reports suggest that “The Predator” is interested in a boxing match. There hasn’t been much development on that front either. Ngannou has not confirmed or denied these allegations yet.
Chael Sonnen breaks news about Francis Ngannou
There has been no official announcement regarding Ngannou’s next move, but according to Chael Sonnen, the former UFC heavyweight champion has reached a deal with the Professional Fighters League. The former middleweight and light heavyweight title challenger shared this information on Twitter, saying:
“BREAKING NEWS: Bellator never submitted an offer to Francis. PFL and Francis have come to an agreement. I cannot assure you that Francis is ever going to compete again. But if he does, it will be in the smart cage. You’re welcome”
Chael Sonnen did not provide any specifics about the agreement, despite his assertion that it had been reached. It is unclear whether the Professional Fighters League was willing to meet the demands from the Cameroonian.
