UFC commentator Joe Rogan has given his thoughts on Francis Ngannou leaving the promotion and becoming a free agent.
Last weekend, it was announced that Francis Ngannou had been released by the UFC. The news came after a long negotiation period, in which the two parties couldn’t come to terms on a new deal.
The move means that we will now see a new UFC heavyweight champion crowned at UFC 285 when Jon Jones battles Ciryl Gane.
While Joe Rogan will probably be commentating on that contest, that doesn’t mean he’s overly pleased about it. Rogan has been there every step of the way in Ngannou’s UFC journey, from his debut all the way up to his last fight with Gane.
During a recent episode of his podcast, he gave his thoughts on ‘The Predator’ leaving the company.
“I’m so bummed out by this whole thing. I don’t like when a champion leaves,” Rogan said. “I do not like the best guy in the world not being the champion. If Francis wanted to resign, ‘Okay, congratulations sir, you had a great career’. I suspect some of it involved wanting to do boxing as well.
Rogan reflects on Ngannou’s exit
“That’s why I’m mad, I’m mad because I feel like we were deprived of one of the great fights in MMA. One of the most compelling fights in MMA,” Rogan continued. “Doesn’t mean I’m not interested in Ciryl Gane vs. Jon Jones, I’m very interested in that fight.”
Quotes via MMA News
Ngannou is set to head out into the open market, with a move to boxing likely being top of his priority list.
What do you think about Joe Rogan’s comments regarding Francis Ngannou’s exit? Will we ever see him in the UFC again? Let us know in the comments, BJPENN Nation!
