Francis Ngannou reflects on his departure from the UFC: “This business can be nasty”

By Harry Kettle - January 4, 2024

PFL star Francis Ngannou has reflected on his exit from the Ultimate Fighting Championship last year.

Francis Ngannou, Tyson Fury

In 2023, Francis Ngannou took a giant leap of faith and decided to leave the UFC. He took a risk and decided to bet on himself, and we’d say that bet has paid off in a big way. In addition to signing a blockbuster deal with PFL, where he is expected to compete this year, Ngannou also took part in a crossover boxing superfight against Tyson Fury.

RELATED: Francis Ngannou claims UFC champion Jon Jones was “part of the system” that he stood up against: “He at some point was trying to stand in my way”

In what was almost one of the biggest upsets of all time, Ngannou produced a sensational performance and even dropped Tyson Fury. In doing so, he established himself as a legitimate player in boxing’s heavyweight division.

Now, as he continues to plan for the future, ‘The Predator’ has given his thoughts on what it meant to leave the UFC.

Ngannou speaks out

“I had a lot of controversial opinions about my career decisions because most of those things was about my career this year,” Ngannou said on his YouTube channel. “Then negotiations with different organizations that were interested. A lot of them were just trying to navigate the narrative and potentially get some promotion. We have a lot of different people – some two faces.

“It’s part of the business and that’s something that I learned this year – how this business can be nasty. You have people who pretend to be something that they are not. But it’s a good part of the learning process. Becoming a fighter and stepping into that position is something you are not educated about. Most fighters never get educated, and that’s why for the most part, fighters keep getting screwed.”

Quotes via MMA Junkie

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