Francis Ngannou reveals stunning proclamation about proposed UFC contract: “And I’m like, ‘C’mon, man’”

Francis Ngannou, the former UFC heavyweight champion, revealed the stunning truth that led him to getting stripped of his title and ousted from the promotion earlier this year.

In a recent episode of “The Joe Rogan Experience,” Ngannou, who is scheduled to face current WBC heavyweight champion Tyson Fury in a boxing match Oct. 28, gave the long-time UFC color commentator a sense of what was happening behind closed doors.

It wasn’t pretty.

“You see a number like $1.25 pay-per-view buy, and the number [of the pay-per-view price point] is going from $60 to $80 in the past five years,” Francis Ngannou said. “And then you realize there is $0.25 on top of it out of the $20 that has been added on. And I’m like, ‘C’mon, man.'”

Francis Ngannou was ready to embark on what was thought to be one of the greatest UFC heavyweight title runs in company history, if not the greatest. The Cameroonian had already knocked off Ciryl Gane in a closely contested decision at UFC 270 but felt the wrath of UFC president turned-CEO, Dana White, and CFO Hunter Campbell, when it came time to negotiate a deal.

Ngannou said he was set to make around $1.2 million in his own sponsorship money before the UFC signed a deal with Crypto.com, effectively ending those plans.

“I was going to have that money in the sponsorship,” Ngannou said. It was this close to sign, and then they announced the Crypto deal. And then they said, ‘You can’t do [that]. You understand our position. You can’t wear this in the Octagon with what we’re trying to push.”

Ngannou eventually sat out for the rest of 2022 post-UFC 270, and various negotiations later, the promotion ended up implementing the sunset clause, thus making the title vacant.

Jon Jones eventually won the belt with a submission victory against Gane and will challenge Stipe Miocic Nov. 11 at UFC 295.

What do you make of Francis Ngannou’s comments? Let us know, Penn Nation!