Israel Adesanya fully supports former UFC heavyweight champion Francis Ngannou in his decision to part ways with the UFC over contractual issues.
In January, Ngannou vacated his heavyweight title after parting ways with the UFC over a contractual dispute. The Cameroonian was offered a multi-million dollar contract, which would have made him the highest-paid heavyweight in the promotion’s history, but he turned it down after the UFC refused to accept his remaining demands, for instance, sponsorship rights and health insurance for fighters to name a few.
Israel Adesanya On Francis Ngannou
Speaking to the media at UFC 284 (as transcribed by MMA Fighting), Adesanya said that he thinks Ngannou’s demands were reasonable and he fully supports him.
“Francis made the right call,” Adesanya said. “He’s the one that kicked in the door. We’ve all been behind him, we’ve been saying this for how long, if you guys go back on the tapes. I’ve been saying the same thing. I’m not gonna harp on about it, but he’s right, it’s little things — he’s asking for things that should be mandatory. He wasn’t asking for, you know, crazy, ridiculous diva-ish demands.
“There’s something as little as for the guys fighting on the opening [bout], having the fourth or third corner man being paid for and the hotel is being paid for. That sets them up nicely, and they don’t have to fork it out of their 10 and 10, to pay for their fourth or third corner. Little things like that.”
With Ngannou out of the equation, former light heavyweight champion Jon Jones will fight Ciryl Gane for the vacant heavyweight title at UFC 285 in March. As for Israel Adesanya, he is scheduled to face Alex Pereira in a middleweight title rematch at UFC 287 in April.
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