One CEO: Promotion Has Withdrawn from Bidding for Free Agent Francis Ngannou

One Championship has withdrawn from the Francis Ngannou sweepstakes.

CEO Chatri Sityodtong revealed to the South China Morning Post that the Singapore-based promotion has elected not to submit a final offer to the ex-UFC heavyweight champion after meeting with Ngannou in Los Angeles over the weekend.

“I met with Francis yesterday for almost 3 hours,” Sityodtong said. “ONE has decided to withdraw from the process of bidding for Francis Ngannou’s services.

“After careful reflection, we decided not to submit our final offer. Francis is a good guy and a good champion. I wish him continued success and happiness. At the end of the day, I didn’t feel Francis and I were fully aligned on non-financial matters. It is nothing personal. It is just a lack of alignment.”

Ngannou became a free agent in January after his UFC contract expired. The Cameroonian-born Frenchman indicated that he was in talks with both One and Professional Fighters League, and Sityodtong claimed during an appearance on “The MMA Hour” that his promotion could provide “the biggest offer on the table.” Ngannou has made it clear that he desires to compete in professional boxing, with targeted bouts against the likes of Tyson Fury or Deontay Wilder. While “The Predator” previously hinted that his boxing debut might come in the summer, there has been no more news on that front in recent weeks. Meanwhile, BKFC president David Feldman recently stated that Ngannou was asking for “unrealistic money” in negotiations.

The 36-year-old Ngannou is on a six-bout winning streak in MMA but hasn’t competed since taking a five-round unanimous decision over Ciryl Gane at UFC 270 in January 2022.