Why was Francis Ngannou stripped of his belt? The former champion's controversial UFC exit explained

Francis Ngannou is no longer the UFC heavyweight champion, having been relieved of his championship duties back on January 14. His title has since been claimed by Jon Jones, who defeated the Cameroonian's former teammate, Ciryl Gane, at UFC 285 in a triumphant octagon return.

Months later, Ngannou stunned the MMA world by announcing that he had signed a historic contract with the PFL. The contract features several perks, including equity ownership, a seat on the PFL's global advisory board, and the position of chairman of PFL Africa, among others.

But what exactly led to Francis Ngannou's departure from the UFC and his rejection of what UFC CEO Dana White described as the biggest contract in the history of the promotion's heavyweight division? After defending his title against Ciryl Gane at UFC 270, Francis Ngannou spent the rest of 2022 in recovery.

He had injured the ligaments in his knee several weeks before his fight with Gane and wouldn't be able to fight again until 2023. During this time, he and the UFC engaged in contract negotiations, as his contract was due to expire come December. Unfortunately, neither party could see eye to eye.

Ngannou made several requests that the UFC deemed unrealistic, including health insurance, independent sponsorships for the entire roster, and a fighter advocate who would be present during contract negotiations. There were also rumors that Ngannou sought a short-term contract that wouldn't lock him in with the UFC.

The ability to pursue boxing matches was also a rumored request. While he understood that the UFC wouldn't meet all of his demands, he didn't expect to have them all declined. After failing to agree on terms, the UFC waived its one-year matching rights clause, stripping Ngannou of his UFC title and releasing him.

---

Francis Ngannou's upcoming bout with Tyson Fury

Francis Ngannou is a day away from realizing his dreams of taking part in a professional boxing match. He will take on undefeated WBC heavyweight champion Tyson Fury tomorrow at the Kingdom Arena in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. While Fury's WBC heavyweight title won't be on the line, another one will be.

The bout's organizers have created the WBC Commemorative Riyadh Championship belt, which will be up for grabs tomorrow in the pair's clash. Ngannou's desire to box was a source of frequent disagreement with UFC CEO Dana White, who once dismissed his aspirations as a gimmick.