Aljamain Sterling questions whether Francis Ngannou gains much traction outside of the UFC

Francis Ngannou is now a free agent as he was unable to finalize a deal to remain with the UFC. Aljamain Sterling recently shared his thoughts on the departure of the former heavyweight champion.

Speaking to Ariel Helwani on The MMA Hour, the bantamweight champion stated:

"If I'm being honest, I'm gonna say I think both sides of the party messed up. I think Francis needs the UFC in regards to continuing his rise into the mainstream. People know who he is, but I think for him to get to that next level - he beats a guy like Jon Jones, that's like undeniable. Now, he goes out, he's a free agent. How much money is he gonna really generate from these other promotions? I don't know."

Sterling added:

"Can he get the Tyson Fury fight? If he does that, okay, good for him, because I think that's going to do huge numbers... I look at the UFC - you let the baddest man on the planet walk - over what? Because the guy wants to do a boxing fight while he's still under contract? I mean, Conor did it, why can't Francis do it?... I don't know what the strategy really is. I just hope whatever he does, honestly, it's the best financial means for him."

Ngannou is yet to announce the next step in his career. However, he did tease a boxing match against WBC heavyweight champion Tyson Fury in 2022. While it is unclear if the fight will come to fruition, the former UFC heavyweight champion will now be able to freely negotiate his next move.

Watch Aljamain Sterling discuss Francis Ngannou's departure from the UFC below (starting at the 2:12:30 mark):

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Francis Ngannou's coach shares why he did not agree to the UFC's contract offer

Francis Ngannou became the first active UFC champion to depart from the promotion since BJ Penn in 2004. Eric Nicksick, the former heavyweight champion's coach, discussed his fighter's decision to leave the UFC after over seven years with the promotion.

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

"He's doing what he feels is right for him. We met with Dana and Hunter - me, Dana, Hunter, Francis - after the fight. We had a great dinner, and things were going in the right direction I felt. We got in the car and Francis looks over at me and says, 'If I sign this deal, if I do this without making any change, without doing all the things that I said I was going to do, I'm just another sell out and I refuse to do that."

UFC President Dana White claimed that Ngannou was offered a contract that would have made him the highest-paid heavyweight in the history of the promotion. The mixed martial arts free agent previously shared that he was looking for an increase in pay, health benefits, and the freedom to participate in boxing matches.

Watch Francis Ngannou's coach discuss why he did not sign the UFC's contract offer below: