Franny is out on his fanny.
ONE Championship gave the former UFC heavyweight champion the boot last weekend after failing to come to terms on a combat sports contract. “The Predator,” who earned his unconditional release from Endeavor earlier this year, has been looking for a place to call home; however, rival promotions have found it challenging to meet Ngannou’s demands.
ONE Championship head cheese Chatri Sityodtong called it a “lack of alignment.”
“I met with Francis yesterday for almost three hours,” Sityodtong told South China Morning Post. “ONE has decided to withdraw from the process of bidding for Francis Ngannou’s services. After careful reflection, we decided not to submit our final offer. Francis is a good guy and a good champion. I wish him continued success and happiness. At the end of the day, I didn’t feel Francis and I were fully aligned on non-financial matters. It is nothing personal. It is just a lack of alignment.”
For Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship (BKFC) it was a lack of (realistic) funds.
Ngannou, who turns 37 in September, continues to be criticized by UFC President Dana White for being “impossible to deal with.” The 17-3 “Predator” has been vocal about the state of MMA fighter pay and wants to compete for an organization that will not only pay him handsomely, but also allow him to dabble in the world of boxing.
PFL seems to be the perfect fit … assuming they can find the proper “alignment.”