It’s hard to know just what’s next for the UFC heavyweight title picture, or even the title holder for that matter. Francis Ngannou’s relationship with the UFC has been on rocky ground ever since the Cameroonian fighter picked up the belt, with a second round knockout of Stipe Miocic at UFC 260 last March.
The UFC had hoped to swing the ‘Predator’ into a quick title defense against Derrick Lewis in early August. But, when the newly minted champ balked at the timeline, the UFC tossed together an interim title fight instead. And with the end of Ngannou’s contract on the horizon, the result has been months of stalled negotiations between the Xtreme Couture talent and the UFC.