American UFC middleweight Sean Strickland commented on former UFC heavyweight champion Francis Ngannou's decision to leave the league.
I respect Francis for that. He was just like, ‘Hey, I want to own my brand, I want to be who I am, it’s not about the money,’ I respect that. Me, personally, I’m not that way. You give me money, I’ll give you my name, I don’t give a f***. So I respect that fact that he stood by what he believed in and he did what he wanted to do. I’m personally not that way, I’m a sellout.
Sean Strickland on the MMA Hour show
Earlier, UFC president Dana White said that the promotion offered Ngannou a new contract that would have made him the highest-paid fighter in the history of MMA. However, the Cameroonian still refused to renew his partnership with the league.
Ngannou made his last appearance in the Octagon in January 2022 at UFC 270, defeating Ciryl Gane by unanimous decision. Ngannou, 36, has 17 wins and three losses under his belt.