Israel Adesanya feels Francis Ngannou will return to the UFC at some point. Former heavyweight champion Ngannou chose to quit the UFC after several of his contract demands were not satisfied.
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Israel Adesanya feels Francis Ngannou will return to the UFC at some point. Former heavyweight champion Ngannou chose to quit the UFC after several of his contract demands were not satisfied. PFL signed Ngannou and fulfilled his wishes, including stock in the firm, a leadership role in the promotion, and the ability to box.
Adesanya believes that many people are questioning Ngannou’s decision. “The Predator” has yet to arrange a boxing or MMA match, but Adesanya advises his detractors to be patient.
“I’m proud of him because his story is very unique, from before the UFC,” Adesanya said on “The MMA Hour.” “He’s paving his own way, signed with the PFL. The story’s not over yet. I think everyone needs to chill and just watch, because again I didn’t like how ONE FC tried to come out and say, ‘We’re withdrawing from the deal’ to try and save face because Francis was honest to them about what was going on.”
UFC president Dana White stated that Ngannou declined an offer that would have made him the highest-paid heavyweight in company history, causing him to state that the UFC will never welcome him back. However, Adesanya believes the UFC and Ngannou will finally reach an agreement.
“This is not a guy that just quits,” Adesanya continued. “He never just quits. Dana’s said some stuff in the past. ‘Women will never fight in the UFC.’ It’s on video. Look where we are now. ‘Francis will never fight in the UFC again.’ I think he might do what he does and come back, and then they’ll pay him what he deserves, what he’s earned, because they f*cked him for a long time.”
Ngannou hasn’t competed since January 2022, when he unified his heavyweight title with Ciryl Gane. He plans to compete in boxing initially, then MMA under the PFL banner in mid-2024.
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