Francis Ngannou is set to make a triumphant return to the octagon after spending most of 2022 in limbo following a fallout with the UFC brass.
The heavyweight champion got his year off to a flying start when he unified the division with an impressive win over interim titleholder Ciryl Gane on January 23.
Ngannou showed off his ever-improving wrestling in the fight which was technically the last one on his current deal with MMA’s premier promotion.
Normally, UFC president Dana White wraps the title around the victor of a championship fight and he did just that earlier in the evening when Deiveson Figueiredo defeated Brandon Moreno for the UFC flyweight crown.
However, he did not present the undisputed heavyweight title to Ngannou. Mick Maynard, vice president of talent relations for UFC, was the man to wrap the belt around Ngannou instead.
Many assumed White was annoyed Ngannou remained his heavyweight champion while they were in the middle of a heated contract battle that still rages on today.
The UFC boss soon shut down rumours quite quickly.
White told broadcaster Laura Sanko: “I actually walked out of the arena right after the co-main event because there was stuff going on that I was dealing with.
“For anybody to think I was showing any type of disrespect toward Francis, I saw Francis all week, you idiots. I shook his hand. I said hi to him. I was out there for the staredowns, the whole thing.”
Despite the fact, his contract technically expired following UFC 270, Ngannou remains tied to the promotion until the end of 2022 due to a ‘Championship clause’.
The 36-year-old announced his intention to sit out for the rest of the year after undergoing surgery on a lingering knee issue that he wanted to address while his management worked on a new deal.
By April, his relationship with the UFC appeared to be severely strained when he jumped in the ring with WBC heavyweight champion Tyson Fury to talk up a potential crossover fight.
Ngannou has expressed his desire to box The Gypsy King, Anthony Joshua, and Deontay Wilder and wants it written into his contract that the UFC will help him make such fights.
It’s proved to be a stumbling block in negotiations that continue to rumble on as we head into the new year, but appear to be going somewhere based on White’s most recent comments.
The UFC boss told ESPN earlier this month: “I think that we are heading in the right direction with Francis.
“There’s no doubt about it that this is where Francis should be, and Francis should finish his legacy here at the UFC. I think we’re pretty close to getting it done.”
If Ngannou does decide to stay with the UFC, fans can look forward to an epic fight with former light-heavyweight champion and Hall of Famer, Jon Jones.
‘Bones’ hasn’t fought since February 2020 when he beat Dominick Reyes by decision to defend his 205lb belt which he relinquished soon after to pursue a career at heavyweight.
However, the bulking-up process and a UFC contract dispute of his own have kept him sidelined ever since but he is not ready to return to action.
MMA Junkie recently reported that Jones will return at UFC 285, on March 5 in Las Vegas and Ngannou could well be his opponent if everything continues to go in the right direction with his contract talks.
