Francis Ngannou putting his foot down will impact fighters across promotions, says former UFC heavyweight

Francis Ngannou stunned the MMA world when he announced his departure from the UFC earlier this month. While many questioned his decision to quit as a champion, former UFC heavyweight Ben Rothwell recently voiced his support for the 36-year-old's actions.

Rothwell put his faith in Ngannou to pursue bigger and better opportunities outside the promotion and stated that his success would inspire other fighters across the sport to stand their ground against signing any exploitative contracts.

In an interview with MMA Junkie Radio, the former UFC heavyweight spoke about Ngannou's exit and its implications on the sport itself:

"What was cool to see is Francis said, 'I don't care. I ain't going to just sign my life away and you cannot continue to tell me what to do'... Outside, there are some opportunities that lured him to do what he's doing. So god bless him and I hope he lands it because it's only going to help the entire community. It's going to help me, help all the organizations and all the fighters."

Watch the full interview below:

Francis Ngannou left the UFC after he was denied the freedom to pursue other combat sports opportunities outside his contract and was also denied his request for a comprehensive health insurance plan for all fighters. 'The Predator' was subsequently stripped of his title as well.

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Francis Ngannou in PFL: Kenny Florian claims 'The Predator' fighting under new banner would be "massive"

Francis Ngannou is no longer a part of the UFC and since his exit many have pondered upon the next step in Ngannou's career. While 'The Predator' has made no secret of his intention to pursue a boxing match against Tyson Fury, there are yet to be any solid developments on that front.

While there is no official confirmation of the Cameroonian-French fighter joining any other MMA promotion, it is highly speculated that the Professional Fighters League (PFL) is the frontrunner for his signature. The rumors circulated after Ngannou posted a few pictures on his Instagram handle showing one of his female relatives sporting a PFL t-shirt.

Check out the photos below:

Considering the PFL's recent soaring momentum with the signing of Jake Paul, an MMA superstar like Francis Ngannou would certainly benefit their progress.

In a recent interview with MMA Junkie, PFL commentator Kenny Florian iterated just this. The former UFC featherweight stated:

"I think signing Francis Ngannou would be massive, not only for the PFL, but for the sport... I think it would allow the PFL to get a ton of respect and eventually get even more great fighters.”

Watch the full interview below: