"Only has himself to blame" - When fans had a heated debate if Francis Ngannou would become 'irrelevant' after leaving the UFC

Francis Ngannou has proven that fighters can still be successful following their UFC departure, but that doesn't mean his decision to leave was well received by fans.

After it was confirmed that the former UFC heavyweight champion declined the promotion's offer in order to test free agency and pursue boxing bouts, there was plenty of criticism. Fans wondered whether he made the wrong decision because it appeared as though Tyson Fury had shifted his attention elsewhere and that no other promotion was willing to pay a premium to sign him.

Reddit user LimonTheNarco created a post asking the MMA community whether 'The Predator' was about to become irrelevant. Fans weighed in and shared their thoughts on Ngannou's free agent status and some insinuated that he may have ruined his career, writing:

"He really let Jon Jones beat him without even fighting him."

"I thought he was leaving because tyson fury promised him a fight, what happened to that? Seems like the only name big enough to justify leaving for, did tyson leave him high and dry?"

"Yes and he only has himself to blame. Crazy because he came into the game so humble, the fame got to him."

"Yes, dude nuked his career to pursue another career he has no business in."

"Leaving the UFC isn’t a death warrant. Unless you go about it like he has. Smh."

"Everyday he doesn’t fight, he loses a little more relevancy. He should’ve only left the UFC with an actual deal already signed, now it might be too late."

Reddit comments [Image courtesy: LimonTheNarco - Reddit]

Ngannou eventually signed a lucrative deal to join the PFL that allowed him to also compete in boxing bouts. He continued to silence his doubters as he fought lineal heavyweight boxing champion Tyson Fury this past October, where he lost a controversial decision.

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Francis Ngannou vs. Anthony Joshua signed for Saudi Arabia

It appears as though Francis Ngannou will be continuing his foray into professional boxing as he has agreed to fight Anthony Joshua in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

MMA journalist Ariel Helwani took to his X account and reported that a deal has been finalized for Ngannou vs. Joshua to take place in Riyadh, which was the site of the former UFC heavyweight champion's incredible performance against Tyson Fury.

Helwani tweeted:

"Breaking: Francis Ngannou vs. Anthony Joshua is a done deal, per @Turki_alalshikh. Ten-round boxing match in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia."