Francis Ngannou says he hasn’t received new UFC contract offer yet
UFC heavyweight champion Francis Ngannou says that he hasn’t received a new UFC contract offer yet.
Ngannou defeated Ciryl Gane at UFC 270 back in January to unify the UFC heavyweight championship. However, he underwent knee surgery following that fight and he hasn’t stepped back into the cage since then. The hope is that Ngannou will be able to return to the Octagon in early 2023 in order to defend his belt once more in what would be the final fight of his UFC contract.
Speaking to SiriusXM in a recent interview, Ngannou admitted that he hasn’t received a new contract offer from the UFC in order to extend his relationship with the world’s leading MMA promotion. While Ngannou admits he is still interested in re-upping with the UFC, he also says that he’s not in a rush to sign a new deal.
“My contract status right now is still the same, I haven’t received any offer (from the UFC). So, it is still the same. I’m hoping in the next two or three months we can deal with that, to sort it. It’s not a surprise to me, I think we’re not in a rush. I’m not in a rush either. I’m not going anywhere, so I’m not rushing,” Ngannou said (h/t BJPenn.com).
According to Ngannou, one of the sticking points for him signing a new deal with the UFC would be the ability to box. He has admitted in the past that a fight against heavyweight boxing legend Tyson Fury is something that he wants, and he reaffirmed in the interview that a boxing clause has to be part of his new deal.
“Absolutely (I’m still interested in fighting Tyson Fury). However this ends up, (boxing) has to be part of it,” Ngannou said.
Do you think Francis Ngannou will sign a new contract with the UFC, or do you expect him to test free agency once his current deal expires?
