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Francis Ngannou recently expressed his disappointment with the UFC over not being offered enough fights while he was still in fighting shape.
This was in response to a tweet from Nate Diaz, who took aim at Dana White, claiming he hasn't been offered a single fight over the past nine months. The Stockton native also drew attention to an interview where the UFC president mentioned Ngannou's inability to compete due to his knee injury.
Responding to Diaz, 'The Predator' wrote:
"The past 2 years before my injury I didn't get my 6 fights though"
Both Nate Diaz and Francis Ngannou have been engaged in a public feud with the UFC. The Stockton native has been calling for his release or the booking of his final fight on his UFC contract. Ngannou, meanwhile, has been involved in contractual issues with the promotion. However, the heavyweight champion is expected to return to the UFC after recovering from his injury.
Francis Ngannou leaves the door open for 2022 UFC return
Francis Ngannou has been away from the octagon since making his first title defense against former interim titleholder Ciryl Gane at UFC 270 in January. Ngannou scored a unanimous decision win over 'Bon Gamin' to unify the belts and pick up his sixth consecutive win in the process.
'The Predator' entered that bout with a damaged ACL and torn MCL, which required him to undergo surgery later. Speaking to TMZ Sports last month, Ngannou gave an update on his UFC comeback. The 35-year-old champion stated that he is fast recovering from the injury and could be ready for action by the end of this year or early 2023:
"It’s getting better. It’s been only three months, so yeah, I’m still doing physical therapy. If everything goes well, I’ll be ready by the end of the year because it’s going to be nine months. So, let’s say late December or early next year. As for now, let’s fight for the situation and get everything squared up, and then when I will be close to the return, we will see where the landscape is at because a lot of things can happen."
Watch Francis Ngannou discuss his UFC return in the video below:
While there's no clear update on when Ngannou will be back in action, it is likely that he could match up with Jon Jones upon his return to the cage.
