"I will not go back to work with Francis ever"- Ciryl Gane's coach Fernand Lopez has no intention of training Francis Ngannou in future
![Francis Ngannou (left), Fernand Lopez (center) & Ciryl Gane (right) [Image Credits- @lopez_fernand on Instagram]](https://staticg.sportskeeda.com/editor/2022/01/d9dfe-16424392526624-1920.jpg?w=500)
Ever since Francis Ngannou parted ways with Fernand Lopez and the MMA Factory, their relationship has continued to sour. Things have reached a point where Lopez has dismissed the possibility of working alongside Ngannou.
The contentious nature of Ngannou's relationship with his former coach is no secret. Although Lopez is willing to bury his beef with the UFC heavyweight champion, working with him in the future is out of the question.
Fernand Lopez recently discussed the matter with Denis Shkuratov and Kacper Rosolowski on Submission Radio:
"I'm really open to shake his hand anytime or talk with him anytime. But I can't work with him anymore. It's like you was working in a very complicated job and you discover how to work in the comfort zone, in the best comfort that you can have. So yeah, I will not. No. I will not go back to work with [Francis Ngannou] ever. But I think he's a gentleman. We should be able to say, 'Hello, how you doing?' That's it, you know, and be polite. "
Check out Fernand Lopez's appearance on Submission Radio below:
Why does Fernand Lopez have bad blood with Francis Ngannou?
Fernand Lopez has never minced his words regarding his rocky relationship with Francis Ngannou. As Lopez describes it, there are a number of issues that led to their falling out.
As Francis Ngannou's brand in the UFC started growing, the 43-year-old coach felt he deserved a cut for his efforts. However, he was in for a rude awakening.
He recalled an instance where 'The Predator' refused to pay the yearly €600 ($684) membership fee at his gym. He offered some insight into his split with the heavyweight kingpin while in conversation with Ariel Helwani on The MMA Hour:
“You pay me 10 percent. On top of the 10, you ask me to pay the sparring partner with that money that you give me. On top of that, you’re saying that would be a shame to know that a big name like you is paying the membership. You know how much is the membership in a year? Imagine. €600. €600 per year. One year. And he said, 'No I will not pay.' So I said, ‘You know what? You don’t listen to me anymore when I’m giving the class. You choose the easy way to train. Please, let’s just split.’ And we did.”
Watch Fernand Lopez's interaction with Ariel Helwani right here:
Francis Ngannou is currently hurtling towards a massive title unification bout against his former teammate, and Fernand Lopez's student, Ciryl Gane. The fight is set to take place this Saturday, January 22, at UFC 270.