Francis Ngannou says UFC fighters lack the courage to pursue free agency
TL;DR
Francis Ngannou claims UFC fighters lack the courage to pursue free agency after leaving the organization in early 2023. He has since fought in the PFL and is set to return to MMA against Philipe Lins in May 2024.
Key points
- Francis Ngannou left the UFC in early 2023
- He fought once under the PFL banner
- Ngannou is returning to MMA in May 2024
Photo by Patrick T. Fallon / AFP via Getty Images
Francis Ngannou knows he’s gone down a path most fighters wouldn’t choose, especially considering how things have played out since 2023.
Ngannou left the UFC in early 2023 after a lengthy contract dispute. Since then, he’s fought once under the PFL banner and also made his long-awaited move into boxing.
He’s now getting ready to step back into MMA for the first time since October 2024, with a bout against Philipe Lins scheduled for May.
The fight will be part of Netflix’s first live MMA event, and Ngannou believes that many well-known fighters are missing out by not getting involved.
Ngannou on why fighters should embrace free agency
Photo by Chris Unger/Zuffa LLC
Francis Ngannou will be among several former UFC fighters competing at the Intuit Dome in Inglewood on May 16.
Nate Diaz will take on Mike Perry, with Junior dos Santos and Muhammad Mokaev also set to appear. The main event features Ronda Rousey against Gina Carano.
At a recent press conference in New York, Diaz referred to the card as being filled with “free” fighters, a description Ngannou strongly agreed with.
In an interview with ESPN, ‘The Predator’ expanded on his view that more fighters should consider free agency.
“There’s always the opportunity,” Ngannou said. “I think you just have to be around and be free. Make sure you’re in the position to catch that opportunity when it comes. If you get yourself stuck in a contract because you’re afraid of being alone out there, when the opportunity comes, you might be stuck in some contract.
“That’s what happened to a lot of fighters. They are just so scared of being free, being without promotion, without a promoter or something that they can do. They will sign up for everything just to be in the promotion and then the day that the opportunity, the real opportunity comes around they are not there.”
He added: “This fight this could have been an opportunity for so many people but they are all locked somewhere in contracts that they are not very happy about.”
Despite achieving several goals since leaving UFC such as breaking into boxing and signing with PFL he still faces criticism for his decision but remains focused on what lies ahead rather than looking back.
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Q&A
Why did Francis Ngannou leave the UFC?
Francis Ngannou left the UFC due to a lengthy contract dispute.
What has Francis Ngannou done since leaving the UFC?
Since leaving the UFC, Ngannou has fought once under the PFL and made his boxing debut.
When is Francis Ngannou's next MMA fight?
Ngannou's next MMA fight is scheduled against Philipe Lins in May 2024.
