"There for sure is a non-negotiation clause" - Chael Sonnen says Francis Ngannou's UFC contract won't expire like media has led people to believe

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Chael Sonnen (left) and Francis Ngannou (right) [Image credits: @francisngannou on Instagram]

Chael Sonnen believes that when it comes to UFC heavyweight champion Francis Ngannou's UFC contract, things might not be as straight-forward as has been portrayed by the media.

On multiple occasions, Ngannous has expressed interest in fighting Tyson Fury in a boxing match. After 'The Gypsy King's knockout victory over Dillian Whyte this past Saturday, the Cameroonian stepped into the ring to go face-to-face with Fury.

Both men announced that they'd both like to compete inside the squared circle with a hybrid set of rules.

In a recent video uploaded to his YouTube channel, Sonnen claimed that Ngannou's contract contains a non-negotiability clause that may have been violated by 'The Predator's actions on the April 23. Sonnen added that this could prevent the 35-year-old from competing outside the UFC.

"The media has led you guys to believe that at the end of this year... Francis is free to go. That's not the contract I had. It could have gone that way if I had people at the UFC who wanted to help me... but it could have not if I had people that didn't... I can also tell you that the language of the contract I once had that I believe, I'm assuming, Francis also has... there, for sure, is a non-negotiation clause. For sure, not even a maybe and going into the ring premeditated for a face-off, which is exactly what this was, with the tease and/or promise of promoting a future something combat-related, that would break all to hell, shatter into pieces, if anybody wanted to challenge it," said Chael Sonnen.

Watch Chael Sonnen talk about Francis Ngannou's UFC contract below:

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Francis Ngannou wants the UFC to be a part of his potential superfight with Tyson Fury

Francis Ngannou is currently at a crossroads with the UFC. 'The Predator's fight contract reportedly expires at the end of the year and there is a possibility that the Cameroonian may not re-sign with the UFC.

During his appearance on Ariel Helwani's The MMA Hour, Ngannou stated that he wants to stay with the UFC, but on the condition that they let him fight Tyson Fury in a boxing match.

Ngannou wants the multi-billion dollar promotion to be a part of this superfight as he believes the promotional power of the UFC could make the crossover clash a much bigger event.

“Yeah, because I believe that they can make it – Doesn’t matter how big it could be, the UFC can make it bigger.”

Ngannou also said that after a fight with 'The Gypsy King', he would wish to return to MMA to defend his UFC belt.

You can watch Francis Ngannou's interview with Ariel Helwani below:

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