Francis Ngannou won’t join ONE Championship after all, company CEO Chatri Sityodtong announced Monday.
Sityodtong revealed on The MMA Hour this past week that he was going to meet with the former UFC heavyweight champion Saturday to “give him the biggest offer on the table out of all his bids”, but told SMCP on Monday that “ONE has decided to withdraw from the process of bidding for Francis Ngannou’s services.”
“After careful reflection, we decided not to submit our final offer,” Sityodtong said. “Francis is a good guy and a good champion. I wish him continued success and happiness. At the end of the day, I didn’t feel Francis and I were fully aligned on non-financial matters. It is nothing personal. It is just a lack of alignment.”
Sityodtong did not reveal details of the conversation and what led to his final decision. Ngannou has yet to comment on the meeting with the head of ONE Championship.
Ngannou (17-3) parted ways with the UFC as the undisputed heavyweight champion, entering free agency while riding an impressive six-fight winning streak that included former UFC titleholders Ciryl Gane, Stipe Miocic, Junior dos Santos and Cain Velasquez as victims.
