Francis Ngannou Sends Defiant Message to Critics of His Ongoing Free Agency

The former UFC heavyweight champion doesn't appear to be in any rush to sign on with a new promotion.

Drew Beaupré | May 9, 2023

(Twitter @francis_ngannou)

Francis Ngannou certainly seems aware that some parties have questioned if his value as a free agent is starting to drop, but the 36-year-old also appears confident that he'll get exactly what he wants when he does sign a new contract.

“The Predator” walked away from the UFC earlier this year after the two parties were unable to come to terms on a new deal. The news that the promotion let Ngannou go while he was still the reigning heavyweight champion was met with considerable surprise by most fans, and since then the 36-year-old has been exploring his options as possibly the hottest free agent in the history of the sport.

After meeting with some of the biggest promotions in combat sports, the fact that Ngannou has yet to sign on anywhere has prompted speculation that his value is starting to drop somewhat. BKFC and ONE Championship have both publicly declared that they’re out of the running for the Cameroonian’s signature due to his demands, but amidst all of that talk, “The Predator” has tweeted out a message indicating he has everything under control.

Just out here fumbling the bag 💰 pic.twitter.com/RmJXork1Yb
— Francis Ngannou (@francis_ngannou) May 9, 2023

“Just out here fumbling the bag,” Ngannou said.

The recent news that ONE Championship would not be extending a final offer to Ngannou ignited some concern around the former UFC heavyweight champion’s prospects, but noted MMA journalist Ariel Helwani spoke to Ngannou personally and learned that the 36-year-old was apparently already close to finalizing a deal with another promotion prior to his meeting with ONE Championship.

There’s been considerable talk online that the Professional Fighters League (PFL) might be the company nearing a deal to sign Ngannou, but as of yet nothing concrete has been announced. One thing Helwani did mention following his conversation with the 36-year-old was that the deal Ngannou was working on would include boxing as well as MMA, which was reportedly one of the major obstacles that kept him from resigning with the UFC.

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Published May 9, 2023