Francis Ngannou's coach claims potential Jon Jones loss would have led to massive salary drop

Francis Ngannou's departure from the UFC meant that fight fans missed out on the opportunity to witness the highly anticipated fight between the Cameroonian and two-time light heavyweight champion Jon Jones. Jones will now compete for the vacant heavyweight title against Ciryl Gane at UFC 285.

UFC president Dana White disclosed during the UFC Vegas 67 post-fight press conference that the promotion had released Ngannou after multiple contract offers that would have made him the UFC's highest-paid heavyweight ever. In addition to renouncing the exclusive negotiation window and the one-year matching rights provision, they stripped him of the heavyweight title.

The UFC has attempted to establish a narrative that Francis Ngannou declined offers in order to pursue easier opportunities outside of the UFC. Even Jon Jones said that a prospective bout with 'The Predator' would have been a bigger fight.

Recently, Francis Ngannou's coach Eric Nicksick alleged that the Cameroonian's salary and bargaining stance would have been significantly impacted by a loss in a prospective bout against Jon Jones. Speaking with John Eric Poli of MyMMANews, Nicksick stated:

"I don't know enough about these contracts to make an accurate comment about that. I just know when it came to my guy, those were things that he was worried about. He was like, 'Man, if I lose this fight [against Jones], I lose all my protection,' the numbers would drastically drop."

Nicksick added:

"Yes, he was going to get paid great money to fight Jon Jones.... but that was the next question. What happens if you were to lose, he's back down to the bottom again. The number for him and the number that they gave didn't seem fair. Didn't make sense."

Catch Nicksick's comments below (3:30):

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Tyson Fury sends out a message to Francis Ngannou following the latter's exit from the UFC

Francis Ngannou has previously stated that he wants the option to explore boxing bouts added to his UFC contract so he can pursue a megafight with Tyson Fury.

Last year, Ngannou addressed the possibility of a boxing match with WBC heavyweight champion Tyson Fury. In April 2022, he witnessed Fury's knockout victory over Dillian Whyte at London's Wembley Stadium and joined 'The Gypsy King' inside the ring to shake hands on a potential fight in the future.

Francis Ngannou has been released to seek other options outside of the UFC. In an interview with Seconds Out, Tyson Fury discussed the latest developments and addressed a potential clash against 'The Predator':

“Francis Ngannou, I know you’re out of contract with the UFC. You want to earn some big boy money? Come and see ‘The Gypsy King’ and let’s do a big, big fight for the baddest MF on the planet. Let’s kick it up, spicy, in a cage, four-ounce gloves, under Queensberry, and let’s have a badass referee like ‘Iron Mike' Tyson. Oh, did I just sell that to the world?'”

Catch Fury's comments below: