Francis Ngannou had a knee injury three weeks prior to his fight. (0:58)
Francis Ngannou will have to have knee surgery before he can train or compete again, according to his manager.
At UFC 270 last weekend in Anaheim, California, Ngannou unified the UFC title with a unanimous decision victory over Ciryl Gane. Immediately after, Ngannou revealed he had an injured knee. He had a torn knee and a damaged knee in the build-up to the fight.
Ngannou was evaluated in Los Angeles on Monday. Ngannou and his team did not want the surgery to interfere with his plans to return to his native country, according to Martin. Martin said that he will have a procedure to repair the knee in nine months.
Martin said he was amazed and inspired by Francis' heart and resilience. I think we all agree that he needs some time to be with his family and countrymen.
After his return, we will start the recovery process so that we can get him back to normal as soon as possible. We hope that we can find a peaceful resolution in the contract talks. We would like to thank the fans for their continued support of Francis.
Last weekend was the eighth appearance of an eight-fight deal that Ngannou signed with the UFC. He is still under an exclusive contract with the UFC, but he told ESPN prior to UFC 270 that he would not fight again under his current contract.
The UFC and Ngannou can't agree on a new deal. The two sides are close to a new deal. After Ngannou defeated Gane in Anaheim, Dana White was noticeably absent.
The purse for Ngannou was $600,000 according to the California State Athletic Commission records. There are no potential pay-per-view bonuses. In an interview on The MMA Hour this week, Ngannou estimated he left $7 million on the table over his past two fights, but that he was displeased with some of the terms of those offers.
For the majority of his MMA career, Ngannou has fought in the UFC. He wants to box professionally, and he told ESPN that his next contract must allow him to do so.
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