UFC president Dana White announced that UFC heavyweight champion Francis Ngannou has refused to renew his contract and is officially leaving the promotion.
Dana White
We offered him a deal that would have made him the highest-paid heavyweight in the history of the company -- he would have been paid more than Brock Lesnar, more than anybody else, and he turned down the deal.
Ngannou, 36, had his last fight in January 2022 at UFC 270, defeating Ciryl Gane by unanimous decision of the judges. He knocked out Stipe Miocic in the second round at UFC 260 in March 2021. Ngannou has 17 wins and three losses under his belt.