After victory in UFC 260, F. Ngannou (right) joined I. Adesanya (left) and K. Usman as one of the champions coming from the African continent. Photo: Reproduction/Instagram
For about two years, Israel adesanya, Francis Ngannou e Kamaru Usman placed the African continent at the top of the MMA world with simultaneous titles in the middleweight (up to 83,9 kg), heavyweight (up to 120,2 kg) and welterweight (up to 77,1 kg) divisions, respectively. Today, even in different circumstances, without belts in Ultimate, the complicity between the three is still present.
During the media day of the UFC 305, Israel adesanya, challenger for the middleweight belt, showed dissatisfaction after having a speech edited in the promotional video for this Saturday's event (17). On the occasion, a speech by the Nigerian about Francis Ngannou was removed from the video.
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“You can’t erase Francis (Ngannou)’s legacy in the UFC. It's part of what we did. It is forever marked in history. Trying to bury it or not talk about it is naive. I know he's fighting in the PFL now, but he's still in history. You can't close your eyes to this. I'm sure they'll fix this eventually. That’s how business works in the UFC”, criticized the former champion.
The break between Francis Ngannou and the UFC was not friendly. After a long contractual dispute, the Cameroonian gave up the organization's heavyweight belt and decided to test the market at the beginning of 2023, signing a contract with the PFL months later. Despite that, Israel adesanya I hoped that the history built by the Cameroonian in the octagon would be respected by the organization.
“He is an integral part of what we did in the UFC. I know there is competition between the UFC and other organizations, but you can never erase history. The streets and the internet will always remember. The UFC is made by smart people. I'm sure they will understand and rectify this eventually.”
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