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Francis Ngannou recently revealed that he doesn't feel like he has the support of Dana White and that he hasn't been promoted as he should have been over the past few months.
Ngannou recalled a recent meeting with the UFC boss at a restaurant during the holiday season, and said that their interaction "went pretty well." However, he went on to share that the conversation wasn't productive to the point of sorting out his ongoing contractual issues.
The UFC heavyweight champion said:
"It went pretty well. At this point, I'm not upset. I went up to [Dana White] to greet him and we wished each other happy holidays. And I told him my frustration. I expressed to him that I'd like to stay in the UFC but I don't feel like the UFC wants me to stay. I don't feel like I have a promoter anymore. I didn't feel I was promoted. Maybe I can be wrong about that, but I [didn't] see anything compared to what happens with other fighters."
Francis Ngannou has one fight remaining on his current UFC contract. 'The Predator' has been at odds with the promotion for quite some time now, with both parties failing to come to an understanding.
The Cameroonian is set to take on Ciryl Gane in a title unification bout at UFC 270 later this month. Ngannou became the UFC heavyweight champion following a stunning second-round KO victory over Stipe Miocic at UFC 260. Gane became the interim champion following his dominant performance against Derrick Lewis at UFC 265.
Francis Ngannou explains the 'championship clause' in his UFC contract
Francis Ngannou's contract negotiations with the UFC has been the focal point of attention across MMA media over the past few weeks. Ngannou has one fight remaining on his current contract going into his upcoming bout with Ciryl Gane at UFC 270.
'The Predator' revealed some details about his contract during an interview with ESPN MMA. While discussing the 'championship clause' in his current deal, the UFC heavyweight champion said:
"Contractually, it means that I have executed the eight fights that were on my contract. And the championship clause, people don't understand that in the contract, is optional. Because it says in there that at the end of the contract, if you're the champion, you're extended for three fights or one year, but [all that made me think] it's optional."
Ngannou shared that he signed his current contract with the UFC in December 2017. He has already completed seven of the eight fights on the contract.
The Cameroonian added that the current deal is valid for five years, which means that he will be contractually bound to the UFC until December 2022. He indicated that the promotion can’t hold onto him after the five-year duration runs its course this December.
Ngannou added that if he were to re-sign with the UFC, the new deal must allow him to compete in professional boxing as well.
Watch Francis Ngannou's full interview below:
