Chael Sonnen rages about what Francis Ngannou did wrong in his UFC negotiation
Chael Sonnen believes former UFC heavyweight champion Francis Ngannou made a mistake during his contract negotiations with the promotion.
One of Ngannou's conditions for re-signing with the promotion was for there to be an advocate who would represent the fighters in the UFC boardroom meetings. Sonnen criticized this demand by Ngannou in a video recently uploaded to his YouTube channel.
He said:
"You can't come in and demand an advocate and then ask the company to provide the advocate. It's a conflict of interest and it wouldn't work. Not to mention, you're here today and you didn't bring in an advocate."
You can listen to Sonnen speak about Ngannou's alleged mistake from the 8:05 mark below:
After parting ways with the UFC, Francis Ngannou did an interview with Ariel Helwani on 'The MMA Hour'. During his time there, Ngannou shed light on his contractual dispute with the UFC and the demands he made from the promotion.
The Cameroonian said that the right to sponsorship, an advocate to represent UFC fighters, and health insurance were among the things he asked for during contract negotiations.
Jon Jones weighs in on Francis Ngannou's exit from the UFC
Ahead of his highly anticipated return, Jon Jones sat down with Sports Illustrated for an interview. Speaking of Francis Ngannou's departure from the UFC, 'Bones' wished him luck and said any fighting promotion would be lucky to have him.
“I’m glad that Francis knows his worth. No man has a right to shame another man for fighting for his worth. I was in a very similar situation to Francis as a light heavyweight. I was never happy with my salary. I had to sit out for three years, and I missed a lot of time, but now we’re here. I encourage Francis on his journey, and I wish him all the best. Another company is going to be truly blessed to have him."
Ngannou vs Jones was a super fight many MMA fans wanted to see become a reality. But the chances of the matchup ever coming to fruition seem bleak.
In Ngannou's absence, the UFC heavyweight title will be contested between Ciryl Gane and Jones, who will be making his comeback after three years.