Francis Ngannou appears to be struggling to find a new home since leaving the UFC after failing to see eye-to-eye with the promotion over a new deal, and now Daniel Cormier has stated his belief that the former heavyweight champion should just bite the bullet and return to the Octagon.
The 36-year-old Ngannou had been hoping to secure a boxing match with Tyson Fury, but so far the heavyweight champion has appeared to be focusing on other fights, while ‘The Predator’s’ negotiations with MMA outfits like Bellator and ONE FC have also came to nothing.
“It sucks because Francis was the man and he leaves, and now it seems like the options are very limited,” Cormier said on his ESPN show. “He responded to ONE Championship this morning saying they’re being two-faced, but I’m telling you, it felt like the same thing that was happening to Lamar [Jackson]. I’m watching teams like, ‘You don’t have a quarterback, but you’re not interested in Lamar Jackson?’ This guy was the MVP of the NFL. It made no sense.
“To me, it’s the same thing. But ultimately Lamar Jackson ends up back (with the Baltimore Ravens). I believe that’s what Francis Ngannou should do. Francis Ngannou should just come back, because the reality is this: The money that he was offered, I’ve heard, was a very lucrative number. If he comes back, nothing changes. He walks right back into being in the heavyweight title picture, fighting for the championship, getting paid at that championship level.”
Cormier’s opinion comes after ONE FC boss Chatri Sityodong revealed earlier this week that they’d offered Ngannou $20 million, but had balked at his other demands like wanting a seat at the promotion’s board of director’s and also wanted control over what his opponent’s would be paid.
