Francis Ngannou will no longer hold the UFC heavyweight championship after turning down a record-breaking contract offer from the organization, UFC President Dana White announced in a press conference on Saturday.
“We offered Ngannou a deal that would make him the highest-paid heavyweight of all time,” White stated. “He turned it down.
We’re going to release him from his contract. He can go wherever he wants and do whatever he wants.” Following Ngannou’s decision, Jon Jones, who recently signed an eight-fight deal, will now face Ciryl Gane for the vacant UFC heavyweight title in Las Vegas on March 8.
This marks Jones’ return to the sport after a three-year absence. Ngannou, who had been in negotiations for a new contract for two years, was slated to fight Jones, according to White.
However, White expressed frustration, stating, “We can’t continue to hold up the division to come to an agreement with this guy.” The 36-year-old Ngannou last fought in January 2022, defeating Gane to unify the heavyweight division and extend his winning streak to six fights.
Since then, he has been recovering from knee surgery after sustaining an injury during sparring sessions before the Gane fight.
Reflecting on Ngannou’s departure, White acknowledged, “It’s been fun while he’s been here, I wish him the best.”