Former UFC heavyweight champion Francis Ngannou of Cameroon demanded that his opponents be guaranteed a good fee when negotiating with the Asian league ONE.
He wants a guarantee from whomever he is fighting for promoter-wise, that his opponent cannot make under a certain amount... He wants a guarantee that his opponent cannot be underpaid in other words. So if Francis Ngannou signs on to fight Ante Delija and they want to pay Ante $30,000, he's not down with that. He wants his opponents to make a certain amount as well... They can go above the number if that person is worth it... Who else is fighting for these things?
Ariel Helwani on The MMA Hour
As a reminder, the head of the ONE league, Chatri Sityodtong, said earlier that Ngannou demanded a board seat from the promotion during negotiations, so they put communication on hold and abandoned the idea of signing the Cameroonian.
Recall that Ngannou left the UFC in January 2023, turning down an $8 million contract. According to Francis, he was trying to get the strongest league to provide better conditions for all fighters.
Ngannou, 36, had his last fight against Ciryl Gane in January 2022 at UFC 270. Francis won that fight by unanimous decision. He has 17 wins and three losses in mixed martial arts under his belt.