Overview
- Francis Ngannou, in comments published Sunday, said the UFC’s promotion has mismanaged heavyweight MMA and helped cause the division’s slide.
- He clarified that he was criticizing the promotion’s handling of fighters and match-making, not managers, and he pointed to issues faced by contenders like Tom Aspinall.
- Roster figures cited by analyst Ovin Vithanage reported zero former undisputed champions in the division, only six fighters on winning streaks, and 15 with losing records.
- Some analysts and fans have questioned whether the UFC should even keep the division, though the signing of Olympic champion Gable Steveson has given supporters cautious hope.
- Ngannou is scheduled to face Philipe Lins on May 16 at Netflix’s debut MMA event, which will be his first fight since October 2024.