ONE light heavyweight champion and interim heavyweight division champion Russian Anatoliy Malykhin commented on the failed negotiations between Francis Ngannou and ONE Championship.
Earlier, ONE Championship league head Chatri Sityodtong said that Ngannou was not satisfied with the $20 million guaranteed and demanded a seat in the board of directors.
Ngannou was digging mines in Africa for a bottle of water, then he started fighting in the UFC - and the whole world heard about him. Now he's a very rich man. Yes, a lot of people will say you have to know your worth. But you also have to be grateful to those people who believed in you and gave you a life you never would have seen. If people show you a different life, appreciate it. I think Ngannou was a little wrong.
Anatoliy Malykhin, quoted by Championat editon
At the beginning of the year, Ngannou left the UFC as a free agent. His last fight in the promotion was against Ciryl Gane at UFC 270 in January 2022. Francis won that fight by unanimous decision.
Ngannou entered the Octagon in March 2021 against Stipe Miocic at UFC 260. That fight, which was stopped in the second round, ended in Francis' favor by knockout. He has 17 wins and three losses in mixed martial arts under his belt.