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| Photo: Instagram/Francis Ngannou |
UFC president Dana White continues to claim that Francis Ngannou left the UFC to avoid fighting Jon Jones. It's been nearly a year and a half since Ngannou, then the heavyweight champion, parted ways with the UFC. Despite Ngannou's repeated statements that he left to gain more control over his career, White stands firm on his belief.
In a conversation with Shannon Sharpe on the "Club Shay Shay" podcast, White pointed to Jon Jones' easy win over Ciryl Gane for the heavyweight title as evidence that Ngannou didn't want to face Jones. White said, "In my opinion, he does the same thing to Francis. 100 percent. He does the same thing to Francis. Francis didn't want to fight Jon Jones. Jon Jones is the scariest, most bad-ass fighter of all time."
White praised Jones' fighting skills and suggested that his legacy won't be fully appreciated until he's retired. "When you talk about who the baddest man on the planet is, two guys get locked in a room, who is walking out? It's Jon Jones all day, every time," he added.
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| Photo: Instagram/Francis Ngannou |
Ngannou, however, has a different story. He left the UFC despite being offered a record-breaking deal in early 2023 because some of his major demands weren't met. These included waiving the UFC's extension, exclusive negotiating window, and contract-matching clauses.
Ngannou told "The MMA Hour" in January 2023, "In that contract, I'm not free. I'm not an independent contractor. I have no rights, I have no power. I hand over all the power to you guys, and I've seen in the past how you can utilize that power."
After leaving the UFC, Ngannou signed with the PFL but hasn't competed there yet. He has had two major boxing matches, almost beating Tyson Fury before losing by split decision and then being knocked out by Anthony Joshua.
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Source: CBS Sports
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