Francis Ngannou details the deal he offered that was turned down by the UFC

Francis Ngannou recently opened up on his decision to depart from the UFC after he was unable to come to terms on a new contract with the promotion. The former heavyweight champion claimed that the UFC refused to allow him the opportunity to participate in boxing matches.

Speaking to Ariel Helwani on The MMA Hour, Ngannou stated:

"They didn't want anything to do with boxing. They was like, 'if, and only if, in good faith, and this', I'm like, 'I'm not betting on that. Let's get three fights here. I can knock out three fights here in one year if I'm not hurt, if I'm healthy and then after that I can go do my boxing, whatever I want. If during that time you guys find an interesting in doing boxing together then we'll do it.'"

Ngannou shared that he wanted to owe the promotion three fights and then be free from the contract, adding that while he was willing to put boxing on hold, he still wants to box:

"Three fights would've been a maximum 15 months. Maximum, so that's not a big deal... Of course, I still want to box. One thing that I think about when I heard the interview, maybe Tyson Fury is an easy, lesser opponent for Dana White. I don't know exactly what he's talking about."

Ngannou's inability to find a middle ground with the UFC will likely expedite his boxing debut as he is no longer contractually prevented from participating in the sport. It is unclear, however, if his next bout will be in mixed martial arts or boxing.

Watch Francis Ngannou discuss the UFC turning down his desire to box below:

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Francis Ngannou reveals how much money the UFC offered him to return

Francis Ngannou's decision to leave the UFC does not appear to be financially motivated. The former heavyweight champion revealed that he was offered a large sum for a potential UFC 285 title defense against Jon Jones while speaking with Ariel Helwani of The MMA Hour.

While Ngannou was unsure if the contract would make him the highest-paid heavyweight in the history of the promotion, as UFC President Dana White claimed, he revealed that he was offered more than $8 million in negotiations.

Ngannou shared that he was satisfied with the pay, however, he was unable to accept the contract due to the underlying terms. In addition to being unable to participate in boxing matches, the former heavyweight champion requested the right to sign sponsorships, health care benefits, and an advocate to represent fighters' behalf in board meetings.

When the UFC made it clear that they were unwilling to meet his demands, Ngannou knew that his time with the promotion had come to an end.

Watch Francis Ngannou discuss his contract demands below: