Published 02/13/2023, 9:00 AM EST
UFC star Israel Adesanya recently came out in support of Francis Ngannou‘s decision to leave the UFC, but his comments seem to have backfired. The former middleweight champion was talking to the media in Perth, Australia. Ngannou left the UFC in January and vacated his title after failed contract negotiations.
According to UFC President Dana White, the Cameroonian turned down a contract worth more than $8 million and opted for free agency. Currently, the 36-year-old is looking to enter the world of boxing.
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Meanwhile, Adesanya stepped forward with a show of support for Ngannou. The 33-year-old gave his thoughts on Ngannou’s decision to leave the promotion, describing it as the right call.
The former champion said, “Francis made the right call. He’s the one that kicked in the door. We’ve all been behind him. We’ve been saying this for how long. If you guys go back on the tapes, I’ve been saying the same thing. I’m not gonna hop on about it, but he’s right, it’s little things you know.”
Continuing further, he said, “He’s told me, he said like he said ‘that’s not how we do business. But the way we do business has to change, and it will change. He’s just the guy to kick in the door, you know.”
‘The Last Stylebender’ also added that Ngannou was “not being a diva.” He called the former heavyweight champion’s demands reasonable and opined they should have been granted.
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However, these comments did not go down well with the fans.
Why did the fans turn on Israel Adesanya for supporting Ngannou?
Despite Adesanya’s well intentions, his comments set off a faction of the fans. They believed that Adesanya’s support came too late for it to make any difference.
LAS VEGAS, NEVADA – MARCH 07: Israel Adesanya of Nigeria battles Yoel Romero (not pictured) in their UFC middleweight championship fight during the UFC 248 event at T-Mobile Arena on March 07, 2020 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Jeff Bottari/Zuffa LLC)
They called him out for not supporting a fellow ‘African King’ when it mattered the most. Some of them also called out former UFC welterweight champion Kamaru Usman for the lack of support for Ngannou.
Under a Twitter post mentioning Adesanya’s comments, fans vented their frustrations
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Almost a month after Ngannou’s exit, the UFC is now imposing stricter restrictions on fighter contracts. Numerous fans and pros have condemned the UFC’s move to curtail fighters’ rights and freedoms.
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Do you think Adesanya should have come forward with his support earlier? Would things have been different if the ‘African Kings’ stood up for one of them? Let us know in the comments below.