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Luke Rockhold has put forth his take regarding Francis Ngannou's UFC departure. Ngannou was the reigning UFC heavyweight champion at the time of his UFC exit earlier this month.
'The Predator' was stripped of the title and released from the UFC, as he chose not to re-sign with the promotion. Similarly, in September 2022, MMA legend Nate Diaz competed in the final fight of his UFC contract and decided he'd test the waters outside the UFC instead of re-signing.
In the latest edition of The MMA Hour with Ariel Helwani, Luke Rockhold lauded Francis Ngannou and Nate Diaz for valuing their freedom rather than agreeing to restrictive UFC deals. The former UFC middleweight champion confirmed that he himself recently managed to secure his release from the UFC despite having a couple of fights left on his contract.
Luke Rockhold acknowledged that he hasn't always seen eye to eye with UFC president Dana White. Regardless, Rockhold explained that he's had a good rapport with UFC CBO (Chief Business Officer) Hunter Campbell and has paid his dues in the sport, which helped him persuade the UFC to release him.
Additionally, addressing Francis Ngannou's UFC exit, he indicated that 'The Predator' likely had a tough time during contract negotiations with Dana White. Rockhold stated:
"I respect Francis. Me and Francis have always seen eye to eye. And I have absolutely the most respect for Francis making his choice and wanting his freedom. Freedom is a f**king thing. It's a -- negotiations are not fun with Dana," Rockhold paused and then added, "I've been through a lot of them."
Watch Rockhold discuss the topic at 13:39 in the video below:
Francis Ngannou sheds light upon his UFC departure and free agency
Taking to his YouTube channel, Francis Ngannou recently highlighted that he wanted his new UFC contract to be in accordance with his demands. 'The Predator' has consistently maintained that better pay for himself wasn't his only demand and that he also aimed to get healthcare and better pay for all UFC fighters, etc., as part of his new UFC deal.
Francis Ngannou suggested that he simply wanted to complete all the fights on his old UFC contract and then sign a new one on his terms. Currently a free agent, Ngannou's aiming to try his hand at boxing before returning to MMA.
He urged other fighters to similarly do what's best for them. Furthermore, addressing his free agency, Ngannou noted:
"Now, it's very crucial for my future - I have to take time, decide what's my next move, and I'm gonna speak to some people out there and see what's possible."
Watch Ngannou's assessment in the video below:
