Francis Ngannou and 4 other fighters the UFC clashed with
The UFC is at the top of the MMA world for several reasons. First, the promotion is home to the world's best fighters, enabling it to field the most recognizable names to rake in pay-per-view buys. Second, the UFC imposes a brutal pay structure that guarantees that the promotion earns a disproportionate amount of revenue.
Unfortunately, this leads to fighters getting the short end of the stick. For the promotion to continue enjoying record-setting profits, they must enjoy a significantly larger share of the revenue split compared to their fighters. This has led to numerous clashes between the promotion and its fighters.
Whether the issue revolves around money or something else, there have always been disagreements. With Francis Ngannou's recent departure from the promotion, this list looks at him and four other fighters with whom the UFC butted heads.
#5. Paulo Costa – UFC middleweight
Paulo Costa was once regarded as one of the most fearsome middleweights in the world. Prior to his failed attempt at dethroning then-champion Israel Adesanya in 2020, 'Borrachinha' was undefeated. Unfortunately, after his humiliating loss to 'The Last Stylebender', he embarked on a different career path.
He stopped prioritizing his championship pursuits in favor of expanding his social media presence. Furthermore, he began campaigning for better pay. After Floyd Mayweather Jr. and Logan Paul held an exhibition boxing match that earned them a significant amount of money, 'Borrachinha' complained.
Paulo Costa on fighting Robert Whittaker https://t.co/rTGDJEIqHM
He spoke out against the promotion's pay structure and demanded more money. In return, the Brazilian was advised against demanding more money after losing to Israel Adesanya in the manner that he did. He further claimed that Costa should have become a YouTuber instead of a fighter if he wanted similar pay.
The disagreements didn't end there. 'Borrachinha' was scheduled to face Robert Whittaker but disagreements about pay arose. He claimed he wasn't paid enough to be fighting top five opponents. Unfortunately, his demands weren't met and the fight fell through.
#4. Nate Diaz – Former UFC welterweight
Nate Diaz was not the easiest person to negotiate with. That much was clear after reports emerged wherein the 'BMF' claimant claimed that he no longer wanted to fight in the UFC. Instead, he claimed that he was being forced to fight under the promotion's banner.
.@NateDiaz209 is feeling a certain way heading into #UFC279 👀
(via @bokamotoESPN) https://t.co/o3lBkRX9nJ
Over the years, Stockton's finest demanded better pay due to the value he felt he brought to the promotion. Disagreements regarding these contract disputes often resulted in Diaz opting to sit out instead of fighting. This was especially obvious after the promotion tried to persuade him to wait for Conor McGregor's return.
Unfortunately, the trilogy bout was never scheduled due to Diaz's disinterest in the proposed matchup. His last year with the promotion was defined by his desire to fight out of his contract and the UFC's clashing desire for him to renew it.
#3. Jorge Masvidal – UFC welterweight
No one could have predicted Jorge Masvidal's rise to superstardom. The 'BMF' champion has been a journeyman for most of his MMA career. He was a technically gifted fighter on the wrong end of numerous split-decisions. Things changed after his streak of back-to-back KOs against Darren Till and Ben Askren.
Jorge Masvidal (@GamebredFighter) has asked the UFC to release him from his contract. It's presumed that it is due to failed negotiations for a title fight with Kamaru Usman (@USMAN84kg).
Will we see Masvidal leave the UFC?
#UFC #MMA #FPMMA https://t.co/4EQANroutR
After he defeated Nate Diaz to capture the symbolic 'BMF' title, 'Gamebred' achieved superstar status. With that new status, fans were eager to see him and the then reigning welterweight champion Kamaru Usman face off in the cage. But the promotion struggled to finalize the deal, with Masvidal tweeting his frustrations.
He punctuated his complaints by requesting his release from the promotion so that he could test his worth in the free market. While the situation was eventually resolved, it was bad enough at one point that it became public knowledge.
#2. Conor McGregor – Former UFC two-division champion
Conor McGregor and the UFC have had a fairly good relationship for most of the Irishman's career. That, however, doesn't mean they've never butted heads. The Irishman suffered his first-ever UFC loss to Nate Diaz after his bid to challenge for the lightweight title fell through due to Rafael dos Anjos' withdrawal from the bout.
After being rocked during a boxing exchange, 'The Notorious' shot for a takedown but was unsuccessful. Instead, Stockton's finest stuffed his takedown en route to securing a rear-naked choke. Thus, after the rematch was scheduled, 'The Notorious' bore the brunt of the psychological effects of the loss.
Dana White says Conor McGregor is NOT back on UFC 200 despite what he tweeted
foxs.pt/1SuEg8i
#UFC #UFC200 https://t.co/XtiR80z5sh
He was completely intolerant of the idea of losing again. To maximize his chances of winning, he refused to take part in his media obligations and was absent from one of the pre-fight press conferences. The pair were scheduled to face off again at UFC 200.
Unfortunately, McGregor was removed from the event due to his refusal to engage in media obligations. The promotion's top brass was adamant that no fighter was above doing media work, even 'The Notorious'.
#1. Francis Ngannou – Former UFC heavyweight champion
Francis Ngannou and the UFC have not enjoyed a good relationship since the days prior to his first-ever title fight. At the time, 'The Predator's' nature as a power-punching phenom caused the company's top brass to regard him as a promotional gold mine. Unfortunately, the Cameroonian knockout artist lost to Stipe Miocic.
The promotional effort that upper management exerted was wasted and he chose to wage a public campaign against 'The Predator'. He claimed that Ngannou had an uncontrollable ego, a statement that came as a surprise to the Cameroonian. Even after Ngannou eventually avenged his loss to Miocic, nothing changed.
Dana White: “We are going to release (Francis Ngannou) from his contract. We are giving up the right to match. He can go wherever he wants and do whatever he wants”
The UFC is officially NOT SIGNING Francis Ngannou. WILD. https://t.co/fryjnutgN7
As the promotion's new heavyweight champion, he made demands that White wasn't keen on meeting. Ngannou sought to secure a boxing match but the promotion's president refused to entertain any of his fighters competing outside of his banner.
Further disputes about pay and benefits arose, culminating in the power-punching titleholder vacating his championship and leaving the promotion.