Francis Ngannou urges UFC fighters to "do what's best for them" as 'independent contractors'
Following his departure from the UFC, Francis Ngannou believes all fighters should follow his footsteps and do what is best for themselves, as a new landscape in the sport of mixed martial arts dawns.
'The Predator' vacated the coveted heavyweight title and walked away from a lucrative deal to do what's best for the things he values, which could potentially cause a domino effect with out-of-sorts UFC athletes. The knockout artist has received huge praise from fellow fighters for his actions.
As the dust settles, Francis Ngannou has opened up on his broken-down negotiations with the UFC and urged others to embrace change and do what they believe is best for their career.
"That's how I feel about it, it's just unfortunate that we didn't come to a term, which I wish we could've. But it is what it is. As an independent contractor, I have to look up to myself and do what's right for me and everyone out there should do the same for themselves."
Little did we knew that Ngannou's fantastic wrestling performance against Ciryl Gane to reclaim his title could well have been the final time we got to witness the destructive power of the Cameroonian inside the octagon.
The 36-year-old quickly became one of the most feared competitors in the sport and is attracting athletes from the boxing world due to his god-like physique and ability to attract attention from fans because of his deadly knockout power.
Tyson Fury and Anthony Joshua remain the two elite boxers that were mentioned in possible matchups alongside the former UFC employee, though there are rumors of Deontay Wilder, Dillian Whyte, and Derek Chisora also taking the fight.
Check out what Francis Ngannou had to say following his UFC release in the video below.
Appreciate all of your support during this time. Full reaction to my UFC departure is live on my YouTube channel
youtu.be/qmqzaK51NGQ https://t.co/RBZvzWNxAh
Why couldn't Francis Ngannou come to terms with the UFC?
Despite being offered record-breaking money for a UFC heavyweight competitor, Francis Ngannou rejected terms with the promotion as they failed to agree to a number of clauses the heavyweight included in the contract.
According to reports, the Xtreme Couture representative advocated for UFC fighters to be given the correct health care and the right to sponsorship, among other additions.
The UFC rejected these demands and ultimately allowed the contract to fall through, losing a man who can arguably be described as the biggest departure in modern MMA history.