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“I’m Not Sure if Anyone Can Afford…”- Former Champion Reveals Why Francis Ngannou Will Return to the UFC

Published 01/30/2023, 6:30 AM EST

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Former UFC heavyweight champion Francis Ngannou made waves when the promotion announced his departure. The 36-year-old had been in talks over his contract renewal for months before his exit. He was also the favorite to welcome Jon Jones to the heavyweight division. However, that dream fight looks like a distant possibility at the moment. Nevertheless, former UFC champion and Hall of Famer Michael Bisping said that Ngannou could return to the UFC in the future. Considering the heavyweight fighter just left, Bisping’s comments come as a surprise.

Bisping chimed in on the matter during a live Q and A session on his YouTube channel. The 43-year-old also analyzed the different possibilities that lay before Ngannou before giving his statement.

Michael Bisping on why Francis Ngannou could return to the UFC

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Responding to one fan’s question about Ngannou possibly returning to the UFC, Bisping said, “It’s just a hunch. But I speculate that I think we will see Francis in the UFC again.”

via Imago

‘The Count’ mentioned the boxing offers that Ngannou had on his table. Both Tyson Fury and Derek Chisora had expressed their interest in fighting ‘The Predator’. However, if the boxing does not pan out, Bisping said, Ngannou might be headed back to the UFC.

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He said, “I’m not sure how many other options he has… I’m not sure if anyone can afford the kind of money the UFC can pay… It’s true. Bellator I don’t believe are in the PPV model. PFL don’t do that. So I think he’d struggle.”

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The Cameroonian star has no shortage of options at the moment, with promotions like Showtime showing their interest in him. And Bisping hoped, for Ngannou’s sake, that something worked out for him.

Bisping’s take on Tyson Fury’s offer to Ngannou

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Tyson Fury had a bizarre idea to box Francis Ngannou inside a cage wearing 4 oz gloves, with Mike Tyson as the referee. Although many pros and fans slammed the idea, Ngannou later confirmed that they were indeed talking about fighting each other.

Regarding Fury’s idea, Bisping said, “Tyson Fury made him an offer. Now we don’t know if that’s Tyson being serious or just messing around. I hope for Francis’ sake they are serious and they get to do that. Four-ounce gloves in a cage, with Mike Tyson and I hope they make a boatload of money.”

Ngannou also revealed that his boxing bout against Fury might not happen until June or July this year. The heavyweight free agent had no qualms about waiting for the payday and considered it bigger than an Anthony Joshua fight.

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What are your thoughts on Bisping’s statement? Do you think we will see Ngannou in the octagon again? Let us know in the comments below.

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Written by:

Yeswanth Praveen

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Yeswanth Praveen is a UFC writer at EssentiallySports. His interests mainly lie in the realm of MMA, bodybuilding, and the fitness industry. He finished his Master's in English literature from EFLU, Hyderabad.
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Edited by:

Rohini Kottu