Did Francis Ngannou leave the UFC at the altar?

Francis Ngannou created a stir in the combat sports world, leaving his former promotion facing potential embarrassment.

After completing his contract with the UFC by defeating Ciryl Gane in January 2022, Ngannou decided to leave the heavyweight title behind and pursue a career in boxing, which would not have been possible under his UFC contract.

Ngannou signed with the PFL and competed in his first professional boxing match, where he shocked the world with his performance, despite a split decision loss to WBC heavyweight boxing champion Tyson Fury in Saudi Arabia.

Many expected Fury to easily defeat Ngannou since he had no prior professional boxing experience. However, Ngannou came prepared with a comprehensive gameplan, even knocking down Fury and impressing the judges after 10 rounds of action.

The UFC had the opportunity to be a part of this monumental event if they had allowed certain fighters to compete in boxing. However, that goes against their usual business practices (except for Conor McGregor). Ngannou took a chance on himself, succeeded, and is now arguably the most popular name in combat sports after challenging one of boxing’s best.

How does the UFC fare in this situation? Are they winners, losers, or something else entirely? MMA Junkie’s “Spinning Back Clique” panel, featuring Mike Bohn, Danny Segura, Brian “Goze” Garcia, and hosted by “Gorgeous” George Garcia, provides their insights and answers these questions in the video above. You can watch the full episode on YouTube or listen to it in podcast form below.

For more on the matchup, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for Fury vs. Ngannou.

Story originally appeared on MMA Junkie