Israel Adesanya Takes Francis Ngannou’s Side Following UFC Split

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Former UFC middleweight champion Israel Adesanya feels Francis Ngannou was in the right to stand his ground in negotiations.
Ngannou split with the UFC following a lengthy contract dispute that concluded earlier this year. He was stripped of the title which will now be fought for by Jon Jones and Ciryl Gane at UFC 285.
Ngannou’s negotiations with the promotion were centered around calls for additional benefits for fighters, including flexibility to book other avenues in boxing and other combat sports. UFC President Dana White and the rest of the brass weren’t willing to budge and give in to Ngannou’s demands.
Many current and former UFC fighters have weighed in on Ngannou’s release. Some, including Adesanya, feel Ngannou was justified in not backing down from what he feels are fair stipulations.
Israel Adesanya: “The Way We Do Business Has To Change”

During a recent UFC 284 guest fighter interview, Adesanya empathized with Ngannou and his stance.
“Francis made the right call,” Adesanya said of Ngannou. “He’s the one who kicked in the door. We’ve all been behind him, we’ve been saying this for how long? He’s right, it’s the little things, and he’s asking for things that should be mandatory. He wasn’t asking for crazy, ridiculous, divaish demands. It was something as little as for the guys fighting on the opening, having their third cornerman being paid for, having their hotel being paid for…little things like that.
“He’s not being a diva, he’s asking for reasonable demands, and I feel like he should’ve got them. The way we do business has to change, and it will change, and he’s just kicking down the door.”
White has pointed to former UFC champion Joanna J?drzejczyk’s post-career financial stability as a dismissal of fighter pay. Despite similar critiques of Power Slap League, White feels change isn’t needed to pay structure.
Adesanya is one of the biggest names in the UFC and will challenge Alex Pereira in a title rematch later this year. He and Ngannou have become close friends amidst their similar career trajectories.
Adesanya, despite one of the most lucrative contracts in UFC history, has also critiqued the UFC’s business model. While he’s grateful for what the UFC has offered him, he feels the promotion can do more to address fighters’ livelihoods.
Ngannou is targeting a move to boxing for his next combat sports venture, but an eventual return to the UFC is possible. For now, Adesanya feels Ngannou’s split should be a wake-up call to make change become a reality.
Please provide transcription credit with a link to this article if you use any of these quotes.


Former UFC middleweight champion Israel Adesanya feels Francis Ngannou was in the right to stand his ground in negotiations.


Ngannou split with the UFC following a lengthy contract dispute that concluded earlier this year. He was stripped of the title which will now be fought for by Jon Jones and Ciryl Gane at UFC 285.


Ngannou’s negotiations with the promotion were centered around calls for additional benefits for fighters, including flexibility to book other avenues in boxing and other combat sports. UFC President Dana White and the rest of the brass weren’t willing to budge and give in to Ngannou’s demands.


Many current and former UFC fighters have weighed in on Ngannou’s release. Some, including Adesanya, feel Ngannou was justified in not backing down from what he feels are fair stipulations.


Israel Adesanya: “The Way We Do Business Has To Change”
Collage-Maker-12-Feb-2023-05.34-AM-1024x576.jpg.optimal.jpg

During a recent UFC 284 guest fighter interview, Adesanya empathized with Ngannou and his stance.


“Francis made the right call,” Adesanya said of Ngannou. “He’s the one who kicked in the door. We’ve all been behind him, we’ve been saying this for how long? He’s right, it’s the little things, and he’s asking for things that should be mandatory. He wasn’t asking for crazy, ridiculous, divaish demands. It was something as little as for the guys fighting on the opening, having their third cornerman being paid for, having their hotel being paid for…little things like that.

[/quote]
“He’s not being a diva, he’s asking for reasonable demands, and I feel like he should’ve got them. The way we do business has to change, and it will change, and he’s just kicking down the door.”


White has pointed to former UFC champion Joanna J?drzejczyk’s post-career financial stability as a dismissal of fighter pay. Despite similar critiques of Power Slap League, White feels change isn’t needed to pay structure.


Adesanya is one of the biggest names in the UFC and will challenge Alex Pereira in a title rematch later this year. He and Ngannou have become close friends amidst their similar career trajectories.


Adesanya, despite one of the most lucrative contracts in UFC history, has also critiqued the UFC’s business model. While he’s grateful for what the UFC has offered him, he feels the promotion can do more to address fighters’ livelihoods.


Ngannou is targeting a move to boxing for his next combat sports venture, but an eventual return to the UFC is possible. For now, Adesanya feels Ngannou’s split should be a wake-up call to make change become a reality.


Please provide transcription credit with a link to this article if you use any of these quotes.




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