Eric Nicksick, the coach of former UFC heavyweight champion Francis Ngannoux, explained his mentee's decision to leave the organization.
We met with Dana White and Hunter Campbell after UFC 270 and had a great dinner. I felt like everything was going in the right direction. When we got in the car, Francis looked at me and said: "If I sign this contract without doing those things I talked about, I'll just sell out. I refuse to do that. I'm in a position where I can make a difference".
Eric Nicksick on the MMA Hour show
Since Ngannou's departure from the UFC, the league's heavyweight title has become vacant. It will be contested by Jon Jones and Ciryl Gane on March 5 at UFC 285.
Ngannou defeated Ciryl Gane by unanimous decision at UFC 270 in January 2022. In March 2021, at UFC 260, Francis knocked out Stipe Miocic in the second round. The Cameroonian fighter has 17 wins and three losses under his belt.