Departing UFC heavyweight champion Francis Ngannou has revealed the details of the very UFC contract he walked away from. Ngannou has also offered insight into his own demands, including a pay raise and health insurance not just for himself, but for fighters at the bottom of the roster, in a detailed interview with Ariel Helwani on The MMA Hour.
“At this point, health insurance for me is not a problem, but how about the guys at the bottom. They can’t really afford health insurance. And I have been there, so it’s something I carry in my heart.
Ngannou Reveals UFC Contract Demands
At some time, I feel like I was slapped in the face by money, like, ‘Take the money and shut up.’ And that couldn’t happen.”
Ngannou continued, reiterating that he wanted the option to take a boxing match, and that the UFC refused to allow him the opportunity.
“They didn’t want anything to do with boxing. They were like, if, and only if, and in good faith, and I’m like, I’m not betting on that.
It’s all their narrative, which is their narrative, and it can’t be proven. I wish it could work. I really do. I really wanted, but not at any cost.
I just wanted them to know it was something I did want, and consider it. They said no, they don’t know business like that.” Ngannou also discussed his reaction to Dana White’s press conference regarding the matter.
“At some point, I stopped watching it. “‘Bulls***.’ Dana is Dana. I don’t care about what he says. Dana cannot hurt me. From where I come from, I have heard a lot worse than that, and I’m still here. What I know is that I’m here, and I have a good future.
He’s upset. He’s not happy about this situation. He saw his champion go away, which is something that probably never happened.” Ngannou also corrected the notion that he was “released” from his contract: in fact, he was out of contract since late last year.
“Nobody releases me. I’ve been free since Dec. 9 or 13, but the only reason I didn’t go public was in respect of our conversation. I wanted to respect that and not talk about it. But I’ve been a free agent since.” Ultimately, for Ngannou, it comes down to respect, which will inform his next move.
“I think I just need some respect, more respect at least. It’s very important. I need some freedom. I need to feel like a man, own my freedom, control my destiny. I don’t want anybody to decide for me. I think I’m man enough to decide for my own, and so far, I haven’t been doing a bad job at all.”
