UFC superstar Conor McGregor just had a big interview with MMA journalist Ariel Helwani. During the interview, he revealed that the upcoming Michael Chandler fight will take place in the welterweight division, and he also added that he has 2 more fights left in his contract. However, Conor does not have any intention to leave the UFC and went on to criticize Francis Ngannou.
To put Conor’s comments in perspective, Francis Ngannou left the UFC after his very public fallout with the company. Although he was the heavyweight champ of the promotion, Ngannou and UFC could not come to terms over a new contract. Aside from wanting more money, Ngannou also wanted long-term health care for fighters. Ultimately, “The Predator” left and Dana added that Ngannou is unlikely to fight in the UFC again.
McGregor was not a fan of the way Ngannou left the UFC and added, “Think of all he got, like he was in that PI (Performance Institute), using all the equipment, all everything. There was no dough on that, there wouldn’t have been any charge on that like he is getting accommodation. He’s everything sorted. I thought he made an error, to be honest.”
The former UFC double champ explained his criticism by saying that UFC helped him during Francis’ recovery from the knee injury he suffered ahead of UFC 270. Hence, Ngannou should have probably gotten one more fight under his belt before the contract negotiations. However, Conor wished Ngannou luck for his next adventure and revealed that boxing promoter Eddie Hearn was in contact with the former UFC heavyweight champion.
Conor McGregor faces criticism for his comments on Francis Ngannou
The working relationship between Francis Ngannou and UFC ended on a very term. Since Ngannou’s exit, Dana White has not missed a single opportunity to play down the 36-year-old as a legitimate threat. After Jon Jones beat Ciryl Gane at UFC 285, Dana went on to claim that Jon would have beaten Francis in a similar manner. Even “Jonny Bones” buried Ngannou after his submission win over Ciryl.
It looks like “The Notorious One” is also toeing the company line. Aside from Jon Jones, Conor is the biggest superstar in the UFC at the moment. Hence, fans are not surprised that the Dublin native is taking the company’s side in the matter.
Here are some fan reactions on the matter
Damn, Conor a real company man in this convo lol
— Murphs56 (@Murphs56) March 16, 2023
Free gym membership sounds better than what Francis was asking for. Definitely made an error
— Sammy the Goat (@ThebookofR) March 16, 2023
Conor being a bootlicker?
— Druco (@Drucomma) March 16, 2023
No way!
Conor says Ngannou "made an error" and used the UFC amenities without being charged #MMAHour
— Amy Kaplan (@PhotoAmy33) March 16, 2023
Conor McGregor says that he felt Francis Ngannou made a mistake leaving the UFC. "It takes the shine off of him"#TheMMAHour
— Jason Hagholm (@JHagholm1) March 16, 2023
Lol of course Conor McGregor wants to be in the UFC he gets whatever he wants. If the UFC allowed Ngannou to take a boxing match he'd love them too 🤣
— Brandon The Truth 💯 (@BCTheTruthl) March 16, 2023
It will be interesting to see what Francis Ngannou has to say about the matter. Although Conor did criticize him, there did not seem to be any ill intention and sounded like an honest opinion. Fans can catch Conor on their screens in The Ultimate Fighter season 31, which is set to air in May. As for Ngannou, he remains in the hunt for his next fight with a potential boxing debut on the horizon.
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