The mixed martial arts world was stunned on Saturday when it was confirmed that UFC heavyweight champion Francis Ngannou was no longer under contract – and was no longer the UFC heavyweight champion.
Ngannou recently shared a photo of a family member wearing a PFL t-shirt on Instagram. This sparked suspicions that he will be joining the PFL, namely Jake Paul’s “Super” division.
Paul made a statement regarding the news of Ngannou’s release. He has long spoken in favor of increased athlete pay for men competing in UFC
Jake Paul tweeted: “Francis Ngannou is the baddest man on the planet & is a free agent bc he chose to be. He’s the heavyweight champ in MMA & will be until he losses.”
“They are not happy about this. But it’s reality, & they have to deal with it. They have to live with it. They have to live with that everyday. @Francis_Ngannou.”
Francis Ngannou is the baddest man on the planet & is a free agent bc he chose to be. He’s the heavyweight champ in MMA & will be until he loses.
They are not happy about this. But it’s reality, & they have to deal with it. They have to live with that everyday. @francis_ngannou
— Jake Paul (@jakepaul) January 16, 2023
Dana White spoke about Francis Ngannou’s departure at the UFC Vegas 67 press conference and threw shade at Francis left and right.
“We offered Ngannou a deal that would make him the highest-paid heavyweight of all time. He turned it down. We’re gonna release him from his contract. He can go and do whatever he wants.”