Francis Ngannou Talks UFC Split, $8M Contract Offer to Fight Jon Jones, More

Francis Ngannou is gone from the UFC, and he's breaking his silence on what led to his departure.

The former UFC heavyweight champion spoke to Ariel Helwani on the MMA Hour on Tuesday, saying factors beyond money led to his exit from the company.

"I felt like I was slapped in the face with money. Like, 'Take the money and shut up.' That didn't work with me," Ngannou said.

Ngannou added that he advocated for fighters to receive health insurance and the ability to have in-cage sponsorships during his negotiations.

"In that contract, I'm not free, I'm not an independent contractor. ... I hand over all power to [UFC], and I've seen in the past how you hold that power over me. I don't want that again," Ngannou said.

UFC offered Ngannou around $8 million to fight Jon Jones in what would have been the biggest bout of the 2023 calendar year.

Dana White told reporters Saturday the promotion offered Ngannou a record contract but accused the star of wanting to fight "lesser opponents and make more money":

"We get to this point, and I've told you guys this before, if you don't want to be here, you don't have to be here. I think Francis is in a place right now where he doesn't want to take a lot of risks. He feels he's in a good position where he can fight lesser opponents and make more money.

"So we're going to let him do that. We're going to release him for his contract. We're going to give up our right to match, and he can go and do whatever he wants. That's where we're at."

Ngannou, 36, had been with the UFC since 2015. He has not fought since defeating Ciryl Gane via unanimous decision last January in UFC 270.

While it was well known that Ngannou and the UFC were having issues in contract negotiations, it remains a surprise that things fell apart. Ngannou is one of MMA's biggest names and has been an anchor of the heavyweight division.

Given the public back-and-forth between White and Ngannou, it appears unlikely we'll see a reconciliation soon. That said, if the money is right, it's always possible cooler heads prevail.