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A recent report appears to suggest that Francis Ngannou may have already entered free agency, a theory supported by some remarks made by the UFC heavyweight champion.
The future of Ngannou has long been uncertain, perhaps starting when he fell out with the UFC in 2021 following the surprising creation of an interim title just months after his crowning.
In the period that followed, “The Predator” became more outspoken about the shortcomings he believed to be evident in his contract. And as he approached the final bout of his deal, a defeat to Ciryl Gane at UFC 270 would have concluded the contract and no doubt damaged his leverage.
But in an impressive late rally, especially given the injuries he held, Ngannou came back from behind, utilizing wrestling against the Frenchman to secure a unanimous decision victory.
Following the result, the champion’s clause came into effect. The clause allows the promotion to extend a deal by either a year or three bouts should an athlete fight out their agreement whilst holding a title.
With that, the common consensus has been that Ngannou will enter free agency, with a 12-month matching period, in January. However, one journalist has dug a little deeper and found evidence that the Cameroonian may have already reached that stage.
In a thread on social media, MMA reporter John Nash assessed the wording on UFC contracts. He pointed to the fact that Ngannou has publicly noted that he signed his deal in December 2017.
It was previously understood that the five-year maximum period outlined in contracts commences at the time of the first fight. For Ngannou, that was January 20, 2018. By that metric, he’d enter free agency on January 20, 2023, just two days before completing the year since his victory over Gane.
However, upon closer inspection of a standard contract, Nash pointed to writing that defined the effective date (start of the five-year timeframe) as the date on the signature page. With all indications pointing to “The Predator” having signed the deal in early December 2017, it’s believed that Ngannou may already be free to speak to other organizations.
2/ The effective date is the date on the signature page. Based on all the interviews where Ngannou has mentioned being a free agent it sounds like the signed date was sometime in early December 2018. pic.twitter.com/NuRRKIPHbV— John S. Nash (@heynottheface) December 12, 2022
4/ A new provision put in every contract I've seen post 2017 states "the Agreement will not be extended pursuant to this Section 4 beyond the date which is five (5) years after the Effective Date of this Agreement." pic.twitter.com/fpKEEc1QAc— John S. Nash (@heynottheface) December 12, 2022
6/ also the UFC contracts no longer includes an exclusive negotiating period (they still have a 12 month matching period.) So as soon as Ngannou's effective date has passed – which it might already have – he's free to talk to anyone.— John S. Nash (@heynottheface) December 12, 2022
It’s also worth noting that while many have suggested that the champion’s clause may override the five-year maximum duration of the contract, in essence resetting the final 12 months, Nash pointed out the section of the contract which notes that elements like the champion’s clause don’t supersede the five-year maximum outlined from the effective date of the agreement.
Ngannou Hints At “Beginning Of A New Career”
Interestingly, it’s not just the recent report that hints towards Ngannou having already entered free agency, which allows him to explore other opportunities and negotiations whilst also granting the UFC matching rights.
In the latest YouTube video documenting his recovery, the road of which began following surgery to repair ligament damage in his knee earlier this year, Ngannou mentions “a decision” on his future being made following UFC 282, which went down this past weekend.
That would certainly fit in with the theory that his contract has expired or will expire imminently. On said “decision,” Ngannou also hinted towards it marking the start of a “new career.”
“This is a new chapter. The beginning of a new career,” Ngannou said. “My second career is coming up soon.”
Whether that’s surrounding a new beginning in the UFC or a completely fresh venture outside of the Octagon remains to be seen.
What would you like to see Francis Ngannou do next? Re-sign with the UFC or explore other opportunities?
A recent report appears to suggest that Francis Ngannou may have already entered free agency, a theory supported by some remarks made by the UFC heavyweight champion.
The future of Ngannou has long been uncertain, perhaps starting when he fell out with the UFC in 2021 following the surprising creation of an interim title just months after his crowning.
In the period that followed, “The Predator” became more outspoken about the shortcomings he believed to be evident in his contract. And as he approached the final bout of his deal, a defeat to Ciryl Gane at UFC 270 would have concluded the contract and no doubt damaged his leverage.
But in an impressive late rally, especially given the injuries he held, Ngannou came back from behind, utilizing wrestling against the Frenchman to secure a unanimous decision victory.
Following the result, the champion’s clause came into effect. The clause allows the promotion to extend a deal by either a year or three bouts should an athlete fight out their agreement whilst holding a title.
With that, the common consensus has been that Ngannou will enter free agency, with a 12-month matching period, in January. However, one journalist has dug a little deeper and found evidence that the Cameroonian may have already reached that stage.
In a thread on social media, MMA reporter John Nash assessed the wording on UFC contracts. He pointed to the fact that Ngannou has publicly noted that he signed his deal in December 2017.
It was previously understood that the five-year maximum period outlined in contracts commences at the time of the first fight. For Ngannou, that was January 20, 2018. By that metric, he’d enter free agency on January 20, 2023, just two days before completing the year since his victory over Gane.
However, upon closer inspection of a standard contract, Nash pointed to writing that defined the effective date (start of the five-year timeframe) as the date on the signature page. With all indications pointing to “The Predator” having signed the deal in early December 2017, it’s believed that Ngannou may already be free to speak to other organizations.
2/ The effective date is the date on the signature page. Based on all the interviews where Ngannou has mentioned being a free agent it sounds like the signed date was sometime in early December 2018. pic.twitter.com/NuRRKIPHbV
— John S. Nash (@heynottheface) December 12, 2022[/quote]
4/ A new provision put in every contract I've seen post 2017 states "the Agreement will not be extended pursuant to this Section 4 beyond the date which is five (5) years after the Effective Date of this Agreement." pic.twitter.com/fpKEEc1QAc
— John S. Nash (@heynottheface) December 12, 2022[/quote]
6/ also the UFC contracts no longer includes an exclusive negotiating period (they still have a 12 month matching period.) So as soon as Ngannou's effective date has passed – which it might already have – he's free to talk to anyone.
— John S. Nash (@heynottheface) December 12, 2022[/quote]
It’s also worth noting that while many have suggested that the champion’s clause may override the five-year maximum duration of the contract, in essence resetting the final 12 months, Nash pointed out the section of the contract which notes that elements like the champion’s clause don’t supersede the five-year maximum outlined from the effective date of the agreement.
Ngannou Hints At “Beginning Of A New Career”
Interestingly, it’s not just the recent report that hints towards Ngannou having already entered free agency, which allows him to explore other opportunities and negotiations whilst also granting the UFC matching rights.
In the latest YouTube video documenting his recovery, the road of which began following surgery to repair ligament damage in his knee earlier this year, Ngannou mentions “a decision” on his future being made following UFC 282, which went down this past weekend.
That would certainly fit in with the theory that his contract has expired or will expire imminently. On said “decision,” Ngannou also hinted towards it marking the start of a “new career.”
“This is a new chapter. The beginning of a new career,” Ngannou said. “My second career is coming up soon.”
Whether that’s surrounding a new beginning in the UFC or a completely fresh venture outside of the Octagon remains to be seen.
What would you like to see Francis Ngannou do next? Re-sign with the UFC or explore other opportunities?
Click here to view the article.
The future of Ngannou has long been uncertain, perhaps starting when he fell out with the UFC in 2021 following the surprising creation of an interim title just months after his crowning.
In the period that followed, “The Predator” became more outspoken about the shortcomings he believed to be evident in his contract. And as he approached the final bout of his deal, a defeat to Ciryl Gane at UFC 270 would have concluded the contract and no doubt damaged his leverage.
But in an impressive late rally, especially given the injuries he held, Ngannou came back from behind, utilizing wrestling against the Frenchman to secure a unanimous decision victory.
Following the result, the champion’s clause came into effect. The clause allows the promotion to extend a deal by either a year or three bouts should an athlete fight out their agreement whilst holding a title.
With that, the common consensus has been that Ngannou will enter free agency, with a 12-month matching period, in January. However, one journalist has dug a little deeper and found evidence that the Cameroonian may have already reached that stage.
In a thread on social media, MMA reporter John Nash assessed the wording on UFC contracts. He pointed to the fact that Ngannou has publicly noted that he signed his deal in December 2017.
It was previously understood that the five-year maximum period outlined in contracts commences at the time of the first fight. For Ngannou, that was January 20, 2018. By that metric, he’d enter free agency on January 20, 2023, just two days before completing the year since his victory over Gane.
However, upon closer inspection of a standard contract, Nash pointed to writing that defined the effective date (start of the five-year timeframe) as the date on the signature page. With all indications pointing to “The Predator” having signed the deal in early December 2017, it’s believed that Ngannou may already be free to speak to other organizations.
2/ The effective date is the date on the signature page. Based on all the interviews where Ngannou has mentioned being a free agent it sounds like the signed date was sometime in early December 2018. pic.twitter.com/NuRRKIPHbV— John S. Nash (@heynottheface) December 12, 2022
4/ A new provision put in every contract I've seen post 2017 states "the Agreement will not be extended pursuant to this Section 4 beyond the date which is five (5) years after the Effective Date of this Agreement." pic.twitter.com/fpKEEc1QAc— John S. Nash (@heynottheface) December 12, 2022
6/ also the UFC contracts no longer includes an exclusive negotiating period (they still have a 12 month matching period.) So as soon as Ngannou's effective date has passed – which it might already have – he's free to talk to anyone.— John S. Nash (@heynottheface) December 12, 2022
It’s also worth noting that while many have suggested that the champion’s clause may override the five-year maximum duration of the contract, in essence resetting the final 12 months, Nash pointed out the section of the contract which notes that elements like the champion’s clause don’t supersede the five-year maximum outlined from the effective date of the agreement.
Ngannou Hints At “Beginning Of A New Career”
Interestingly, it’s not just the recent report that hints towards Ngannou having already entered free agency, which allows him to explore other opportunities and negotiations whilst also granting the UFC matching rights.
In the latest YouTube video documenting his recovery, the road of which began following surgery to repair ligament damage in his knee earlier this year, Ngannou mentions “a decision” on his future being made following UFC 282, which went down this past weekend.
That would certainly fit in with the theory that his contract has expired or will expire imminently. On said “decision,” Ngannou also hinted towards it marking the start of a “new career.”
“This is a new chapter. The beginning of a new career,” Ngannou said. “My second career is coming up soon.”
Whether that’s surrounding a new beginning in the UFC or a completely fresh venture outside of the Octagon remains to be seen.
What would you like to see Francis Ngannou do next? Re-sign with the UFC or explore other opportunities?
The future of Ngannou has long been uncertain, perhaps starting when he fell out with the UFC in 2021 following the surprising creation of an interim title just months after his crowning.
In the period that followed, “The Predator” became more outspoken about the shortcomings he believed to be evident in his contract. And as he approached the final bout of his deal, a defeat to Ciryl Gane at UFC 270 would have concluded the contract and no doubt damaged his leverage.
But in an impressive late rally, especially given the injuries he held, Ngannou came back from behind, utilizing wrestling against the Frenchman to secure a unanimous decision victory.
Following the result, the champion’s clause came into effect. The clause allows the promotion to extend a deal by either a year or three bouts should an athlete fight out their agreement whilst holding a title.
With that, the common consensus has been that Ngannou will enter free agency, with a 12-month matching period, in January. However, one journalist has dug a little deeper and found evidence that the Cameroonian may have already reached that stage.
In a thread on social media, MMA reporter John Nash assessed the wording on UFC contracts. He pointed to the fact that Ngannou has publicly noted that he signed his deal in December 2017.
It was previously understood that the five-year maximum period outlined in contracts commences at the time of the first fight. For Ngannou, that was January 20, 2018. By that metric, he’d enter free agency on January 20, 2023, just two days before completing the year since his victory over Gane.
However, upon closer inspection of a standard contract, Nash pointed to writing that defined the effective date (start of the five-year timeframe) as the date on the signature page. With all indications pointing to “The Predator” having signed the deal in early December 2017, it’s believed that Ngannou may already be free to speak to other organizations.
2/ The effective date is the date on the signature page. Based on all the interviews where Ngannou has mentioned being a free agent it sounds like the signed date was sometime in early December 2018. pic.twitter.com/NuRRKIPHbV
— John S. Nash (@heynottheface) December 12, 2022[/quote]
4/ A new provision put in every contract I've seen post 2017 states "the Agreement will not be extended pursuant to this Section 4 beyond the date which is five (5) years after the Effective Date of this Agreement." pic.twitter.com/fpKEEc1QAc
— John S. Nash (@heynottheface) December 12, 2022[/quote]
6/ also the UFC contracts no longer includes an exclusive negotiating period (they still have a 12 month matching period.) So as soon as Ngannou's effective date has passed – which it might already have – he's free to talk to anyone.
— John S. Nash (@heynottheface) December 12, 2022[/quote]
It’s also worth noting that while many have suggested that the champion’s clause may override the five-year maximum duration of the contract, in essence resetting the final 12 months, Nash pointed out the section of the contract which notes that elements like the champion’s clause don’t supersede the five-year maximum outlined from the effective date of the agreement.
Ngannou Hints At “Beginning Of A New Career”
Interestingly, it’s not just the recent report that hints towards Ngannou having already entered free agency, which allows him to explore other opportunities and negotiations whilst also granting the UFC matching rights.
In the latest YouTube video documenting his recovery, the road of which began following surgery to repair ligament damage in his knee earlier this year, Ngannou mentions “a decision” on his future being made following UFC 282, which went down this past weekend.
That would certainly fit in with the theory that his contract has expired or will expire imminently. On said “decision,” Ngannou also hinted towards it marking the start of a “new career.”
“This is a new chapter. The beginning of a new career,” Ngannou said. “My second career is coming up soon.”
Whether that’s surrounding a new beginning in the UFC or a completely fresh venture outside of the Octagon remains to be seen.
What would you like to see Francis Ngannou do next? Re-sign with the UFC or explore other opportunities?
Click here to view the article.
