MMA fans were left disappointed last week when it was announced that ONE Championship had decided not to submit its final offer for Francis Ngannou after meeting with the former UFC heavyweight champion.
ONE Championship CEO Chatri Sityodtong revealed on The MMA Hour this past week that he would be giving Ngannou “the biggest offer on the table out of all his bids” and seemed confident that his company could make a deal. However, Sityodtong told SMCP on Monday that they had withdrawn from negotiations due to a lack of “alignment” between himself and Ngannou.
“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.”
OneFC President, Chatri Sityodtong
Ngannou recently parted ways with the UFC as undisputed heavyweight champion while riding an impressive six-fight winning streak, including victories over Stipe Miocic, Junior dos Santos, and Cain Velasquez. When asked why ONE had decided not to go ahead with the signing of such an in-demand fighter, Sityodtong simply stated: “It is nothing personal; It is just a lack of alignment” – giving no further details about what had gone wrong in their negotiations. He also wished Ngannou “continued success and happiness” going forward despite them having failed to reach an agreement together.
At this time it appears unlikely that we will ever know exactly what happened during their meeting or what led ONE Championship not to submit their final offer for Francis Ngannou’s services – although speculation continues to circulate throughout MMA community as fans await news regarding where the former UFC champion will end up next.