Francis Ngannou has taken a swipe at his former boss Dana White after leaving the UFC for PFL as he gears up for his return to fighting.
The heavyweight champion never lost his UFC title before deciding to quit the promotion, and has signed up with PFL for his next MMA fight, which is set for 2024. First, he will take on the boxing ring where there are offers for fights with champions such as Tyson Fury, Deontay Wilder and Anthony Joshua.
One of the key disputes between Ngannou and his former employers was his interest in boxing, with Fury making his intentions for a super-fight clear last summer. But that deal was never even entertained for the Cameroonian, while now White is openly considering allowing his current champion Jon Jones to face the Brit in a crossover bout.
Asked by Mirror Fighting if he felt the decision to allow Jones to pursue such a fight was a veiled shot by White, the massive heavyweight replied: "That was never an idea when I was in the UFC and now that I'm not in the UFC I think that everything is all about 'how to take down Ngannou', but Ngannou stands up. I'm going to be here for a while!"
Ngannou now works with PFL's Don Davis and Peter Murray, whom he says have offered him "everything he wanted" from his failed negotiations with the UFC. Asked about his new relationship with the duo and their promotion, he replied: "Haven't you noticed that?
"Do you need me to talk about it? The relationship here is different, healthy, respectful. Do you understand that I got almost everything that I have been fighting for? I got that, what kind of difference do you want?"
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Fury yesterday claimed that the UFC had sent him an official offer for an unprecedented 'hybrid fight' between he and Jones, but Ngannou laughed off the Brit's suggestion. He joked that Fury appears to be more interested in headlines than stepping back into the ring after including his name in the discussions.
"It's always what I wanted," Ngannou said of the Fury fight. "But apparently Tyson Fury's pretty good at bouncing here and there, I don't know exactly. But I am here and I want to fight, whenever he really wants it I'm here. It's been like three years that we've been going back-and-forth on social media so I would be very happy to take that fight.
"I have seen a lot of comments from Tyson Fury at this point of things I'm a little confused! I don't know if he enjoys doing comments or enjoys fighting, at this point but as I've said I am here and I am ready and my team have been working on getting in touch with him and his team which so far we are not there yet but we are in conversation."
