With a record of 17-3, UFC’s Dana White had big plans for the heavyweight champion Francis Ngannou. But as he stepped out of his title defense fight against Ciryl Gane in UFC 270 on January 23rd, 2022, things took a quick, sour turn. The French-Cameroonian star had deal negotiations coming up with the promotion, and UFC was all down for his asks, as long as they were about money. But Ngannou, as it turned out, had his eyes set for something more than just monetary gain. A year after what became his last UFC fight, he made his reasons clear– “It doesn’t matter how much [money] is in that contract, I am not free.” For him, “It’s a matter of principle. Money is a part of it but it’s not all about money.” Coming from poverty and stepping into stardom, his wishes were understandable.

In his negotiations with White, he requested the UFC to provide health insurance and the ability to have sponsorship deals for all its fighters because “I can pay my health insurance but some of the fighters can’t.” However, the fallout was confirmed when he was stripped of his UFC heavyweight title two years after his departure from the promotion. Although he fixed boxing matches with the likes of Tyson Fury and Anthony Joshua, many still wondered if he would return to UFC, a place “I always saw myself in the UFC.” With Jon Jones hinting, “If Francis presents himself in a humble way, I think he could very easily be back in the UFC,” the sparks caught fire again. And it would make sense.

As Jones put it, “Dana White; he’s one of the best sports minds in recent history for a reason, and money talks. Francis brings eyes.” Certainly, a combination that could hype up UFC once again. But Ngannou has shut the door, pouring ice-cold water on any hopes of a return. 

Taking it to his X account, Francis Ngannou shared his thoughts on the comeback rumors. “Did I say I’m ever coming back? 🤔” When one curious fan jumped into the comments, urging him, “Come on back and get your belt.” The PFL heavyweight champion replied, “I don’t remember losing it, mate. It’s still in my closet.”

Time and again, Francis Ngannou has expressed that he has no interest in returning to the Octagon. But his long time coach, Eric Nicksick recently stated, “Enough time has passed, I would love to see them mend these fences and get back to competing in the UFC. I think it’s more about business than it is about ego, at least it is from Francis’ side. Now where does his motivations come from? It’s not about money, it’s about competition. And the best competition is in the UFC.” Now again though, what does White think after all these years?

In his presser at the UFC Baku event, a reporter asked White, “Francis says he’s changed his mind and he would consider coming back to the UFC. Would you be open to have him?” Before the person behind the mic could even finish his question, White clarified his stance,

“He would consider coming back to UFC at what? One thing I’ve learned over the years about Francis… Francis doesn’t always mean what he says publicly, what he says behind the scenes are different than what he says publicly. I’m not a big fan. I would be shocked if Francis ever came back here on lots of different levels. I’m not a fan. And he doesn’t always mean what he says publicly.”

But of course, Ngannou has shown interest in a super fight with Jon Jones. Now, with Jones retiring from the sport, there’s a high chance that the two heavyweight stalwarts could finally clash, sometime later in the future. After leaving the UFC, Ngannou made a name for himself in the boxing world. However, Matt Brown believes that the fighter ruined his legacy by not taking the UFC offer.

Matt Brown argues Francis Ngannou tarnished his legacy by refusing the UFC offer

After leaving the UFC, Francis Ngannou tried his luck in boxing, making his debut against Tyson Fury back in 2023, followed by a bout against Anthony Joshua. While he lost both fights, he certainly made a name for himself. He has no regrets about leaving the UFC, but with more than two years gone since he hit free agency, the question remains: Did Ngannou actually make a mistake by leaving the UFC to sign a lucrative deal with the PFL?

“You’d have to define what a mistake is,” Matt Brown said on the latest episode of The Fighter vs. The Writer. “Because of his pockets, he did not make a mistake. Fighting Tyson Fury and Anthony Joshua, win or loss, he made a lot of f*cking money that he was not going to make in the UFC. Legacy-wise, he’s already forgotten in terms of the heavyweight division in MMA. Legacy-wise, I think it damaged his legacy tremendously.” 

He further added, “Had he won those boxing matches, that would have obviously helped his legacy a shit ton. For instance, after he fought Tyson Fury the first time, and a lot of us believe that he won, it was pretty close, debatable, but I would argue he probably won. I don’t think anybody was arguing that it was a bad move at that point.”

When it comes to legacy, Francis Ngannou was an absolute force during his UFC days, securing victories over some of the sport’s biggest legends. While his refusal to sign a new UFC contract may have had short-term consequences, it’s only a matter of time before he’s nominated for the UFC Hall of Fame.