Former UFC middleweight champion Israel Adesanya fully supports Francis Ngannou’s decision to quit the UFC after the two sides could not agree on a contract extension. The Nigerian‑born New Zealander believes Ngannou made the right choice by opting out of re‑signing, entering free agency and leaving his heavyweight title behind. Ngannou’s departure came after certain contractual requests were not met, and Adesanya feels those demands were reasonable. He commends Ngannou for looking out for the wellbeing of other fighters.
“Francis made the right call; he’s the one that kicked in the door. We’ve all been behind him. We’ve been saying this for a long time. If you go back on the tapes, I’ve been saying the same thing. I’m not going to harp on it, but he’s right. It’s little things. He’s asking for things that should be mandatory,” Adesanya said. “He wasn’t asking for crazy, ridiculous diva demands. There’s something as simple as paying the fourth or third corner man for the guys fighting on the opening bouts, and covering the hotel. That sets them up nicely, and they don’t have to fork out their $10K to pay for a corner man—little things like that.”
Ngannou, who left the UFC in January, said he asked for several items but did not need all of them to renew his contract. His requests included roster health insurance, the right to secure sponsorships, and fighter representation. Adesanya believes those requests were fair and hopes to see such changes implemented in the future.
“He’s not being a diva,” Adesanya asserted. “He’s asking for reasonable demands, and I felt like he should have gotten them. UFC president Dana White said, ‘That’s not how we do business.’ But the way we do business has to change, and it will change. He’s just the guy to kick in the door.”
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