deathmtn

On 14 January 2023, the UFC Heavyweight Championship was stripped from Ngannou after he and the UFC could not come to terms on a new contract. Ngannou's contract expired in mid-December, and after the two parties couldn't reach an agreement, the UFC waived its one-year matching rights clause, making Ngannou an unrestricted free agent.[83] In an interview with Ariel Helwani, Ngannou stated that he had requested health insurance, the ability to have sponsorships for all UFC fighters, and to have a fighter advocate present during all fighter contract negotiations. When his requests were denied, Ngannou chose not to re-sign with the UFC,[84] making him the first reigning champion to leave the UFC since B.J. Penn in 2004.[85]