UFC legend says Francis Ngannou has 'misplayed' the leverage he held for signing to other MMA promotions

Francis Ngannou's free agency has become a hot topic of discussion among the MMA community, and one UFC legend recently weighed in on the recent updates surrounding the former heavyweight champion's future.

Former UFC title challenger Chael Sonnen uploaded a video to his YouTube channel, where he discussed the ongoing negotiations between Ngannou and other promotions. He mentioned that the former heavyweight champion might have misplayed the leverage he once held.

He said:

"It's not down to Francis and the PFL and I could make your brand better. Their brand could stay right where it is if somehow they can succeed at not letting their competitors go back. I don't know how to say this any clearer...But I brought it to you and I'm attempting to understand it from this standpoint, I worry that it's misplayed." [8:21 - 8:52]

Sonnen added that 'The Predator' looking out for other fighters is admirable, but he should be focused on getting the best possible offer for himself as a fighter. He mentioned that aside from fighter purse, the former heavyweight champion could get a promoter's license if he feels strongly about looking after other fighters, saying:

"We're not arguing about money, what else is there to talk about? It's prize-fighting. I do the fighting, you come up with the prize, so I think we're all done here. You bring up all these other things and boy, it sounds like you got a good heart, sounds like your mind's in the right place. Get a promoter's liscence, it's a small fee and a one-page form." [9:12 - 9:29]

It will be interesting to see where Ngannou will sign and whether all of his terms will be met.

Check out the full video:

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Is Francis Ngannou signing with the PFL?

Ariel Helwani made a surprising revelation on yesterday's episode of The MMA Hour as he implied that Francis Ngannou could be signing with the PFL.

While addressing the news regarding ONE Championship backing out of negotiations to sign 'The Predator', he revealed that the former UFC heavyweight champion could be on the verge of signing with another promotion, saying:

"He had this verbal committment, he's very close, could even be signed this week, he tells me. And this is the MMA side of his deal, there's an MMA component and a boxing component."

It will be interesting to see whether the deal is announced later this week since the UFC has a pay-per-view this Saturday, and the announcement would certainly generate discussion.