Nate Diaz weighs in on Francis Ngannou following in his footsteps with controversial UFC exit

Nate Diaz has revealed that he's "happy" to see Francis Ngannou follow in his footsteps and find success outside of the UFC.

Diaz himself bowed out of the promotion following a submission victory over Tony Ferguson at UFC 279. Despite being one of the most popular fighters in the organization, the Stockton native opted to seek pastures outside of the UFC after becoming sick and tired of being tied down to a contract.

For Francis Ngannou, the Cameroonian fighter's exit came as a shock to fans as he was currently holding the UFC heavyweight title. 'The Predator' had been seeking a new contract with the organization but wanted the UFC to help co-promote a boxing match against Tyson Fury.

Dana White refused and Ngannou decided to relinquish the title and walk away.

Now, the two former UFC stars are set to earn the biggest paydays of their career after they both secured lucrative boxing bouts. Diaz is set to face Jake Paul this Saturday and Ngannou will go head-to-head with Tyson Fury in Saudi Arabia on October 28.

In a recent interview with ESPN MMA, Nate Diaz was asked his thoughts on Francis Ngannou's decision to leave the UFC. According to the 38-year-old, the former heavyweight champ had earned the right to do whatever he wants to do. He said:

"I'm happy he's [Francis Ngannou] happy and making some money. Whatever he wants to do, it's cool. As a fighter, especially the heavyweight champ of the world, he should be do whatever he wants to do."

Catch Diaz's comments here (13:35):

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WBC President justifies Tyson Fury facing Francis Ngannou in non-title bout

WBC President Mauricio Sulaiman recently felt he had to explain the reasons behind Tyson Fury and Francis Ngannou's highly anticipated matchup.

Whilst most MMA fans are happy to see Ngannou land the lucrative fight he was after, there are many boxing fans who are disappointed that the heavyweight division is being held up.

According to Sulaiman, however, that is through no fault of 'The Gypsy King'.

Sulaiman stated that Fury had tried multiple times to secure fights against Anthony Joshua and Oleksandr Usyk, and it was their fault the bout's didnt go ahead. He said:

"He has tried to land a fight with the unified champion several times, with [Anthony] Joshua and [Andy] Ruiz and all credible opponents, and not having a mandatory contender he may engage in this type of event under the WBC rules. The WBC has been flexible and supporting to try to find the best mandatory contender of the WBC in the division."