Coach reveals REAL reason Francis Ngannou didn't re-sign with the UFC

Francis Ngannou has been stealing the headlines in recent times due to his free agency status and reported struggling to find an agreement with a different promotion. While his future still hasn't been decided, some news surfaced which explains why the powerhouse decided not to re-sign with the UFC earlier this year.

'The Predator' was the heavyweight champion of the world and managed to defend his throne once before vacating the title and parting ways with the company. During his time in the octagon, the African proved to be a feared athlete who was capable of out-working opponents if his knockout power wasn't enough.

In a post on social media, coach Eric Nicksick revealed that despite news surfacing about his contract renewal details with the UFC, Francis Ngannou would have been treated unfairly had he not won his proposed fight against Jon Jones:

"It wasn't $8 million PER fight. Had he lost to Jon, his pay would've significantly dropped. That was one of the hang-ups in re-signing, he had no protection if he lost to arguably the MMA GOAT. I think there's a lot of misinformation being tossed around."

After departing the UFC, the news claimed that Ngannou turned down an enormous $8 million per fight deal with the promotion, though that now doesn't seem to be the case.

Jon Jones went on to win the vacant heavyweight title in dominant fashion against Ciryl Gane and has stated his interest in defending his belt against Stipe Miocic before retiring. Although he has retirement plans on his mind, 'Bones' did state he would be open to a fight against the Cameroonian should he re-sign with the UFC.

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Who will Francis Ngannou fight for following his UFC release?

Francis Ngannou is adamant about his next fight being in the boxing ring and hopes to face one of the biggest names in the sport before returning to MMA. But what promotion will he fight under?

With each passing day, it seems like we are getting a little closer to the truth about where the former UFC champions will compete next. In recent days, both BKFC and ONE Championship have pulled out of the race for the knockout artist, leaving a minimal number of options for the competitor.

Although nothing has been made official, and fans will likely have to wait until after his boxing debut at the very earliest, Francis Ngannou is said to have agreed to a deal to sign with the PFL.