ONE Championship is ‘the only challenge’ for Francis Ngannou, says Chatri – ‘he’ll have a tough time in our heavyweight division’
- ONE chairman and CEO to meet former UFC heavyweight champion this weekend to discuss ‘final offer’
- Chatri open to co-promoting boxing bouts with Ngannou, but says Anatoly Malykhin and Buchecha would be ‘nightmare’ matchups
Chatri Sityodtong insists ONE Championship would be the “only challenge” for Francis Nganno, and that the former UFC champion would have a “tough time” in the promotion’s heavyweight division.
ONE’s CEO and chairman revealed he will meet Ngannou this weekend in Los Angeles to talk terms.
The 36-year-old Cameroonian-Frenchman became a free agent in January having run down his UFC deal while still holding the Las Vegas-based organisation’s heavyweight title, which was vacated and claimed by Jon Jones last month.
“We’ve been in discussions,” Chatri told Ariel Helwani’s MMA Hour on Wednesday. “I like Francis, he brings a lot to the table, but he’ll have a tough time in our heavyweight division, to be frank, which I’ve said publicly.
“It’s a tough challenge for Francis – look at [interim heavyweight champion] Anatoly Malykhin. He’s 12-0, has 1-punch KO power, and an 80 per cent finish rate. But at the same time, Francis has the X factor, he’s a giant monster.”
Russia’s Malykhin (12-0) is set for a title unification showdown with ONE’s divisional heavyweight champ Arjan Bhullar in July at Fight Night 14.
The winner is likely to immediately face Ngannou should “The Predator” sign for ONE, and Malykhin at least clearly welcomes the challenge.
“I’m looking forward to this fight,” he told the Post. “It would be the crown of my career.”
Chatri said Ngannou has been given a “final offer” by ONE, which they will sit down and discuss this weekend.
“He has a bunch of offers on the table,” Chatri told Helwani in New York, ahead of ONE’s on-ground US debut in Denver, Colorado next week.
“For sure, ONE can give him the biggest offer on the table out of all of his bids but it has to work for him and for us. I just believe meeting somebody, you get the energy. I think there’s gonna be big news on Francis shortly, and I think he’s taking his time.
“From the few interactions I’ve had with him, he’s very thoughtful and methodical and careful, and at same time he’s a very principled man. A dollar here or there won’t sway him, it’s principles, that’s what’s very admirable about him.”
Ngannou (17-3) left the UFC on a six-fight win streak, having won the title from Stipe Miocic with a vicious second-round knockout in their March 2021 rematch.
He became embroiled in a bitter contract dispute soon after, however, defending his title just once against former interim champ Ciryl Gane in January 2022 before sitting out the rest of the year and letting his contract expire.
Part of his grievance came from not being granted the lucrative opportunity to face heavyweight boxing champion Tyson Fury – but that would not be a problem should he sign for ONE.
“If we did boxing we would co-promote with him,” Chatri said. “We offer multiple disciplines, not just MMA. We have done an ABC boxing world title fight in ONE before in 2017 or 2018. It was a regular ONE show. We want the best fighters on the planet.”
“The world is his oyster,” Chatri added. “He’s a big pay-per-view draw in boxing or MMA, but it has to be the right opponent. Francis would run through heavyweight divisions in other organisations, and the only challenge will be us.
“Take ‘Buchecha’ [Marcus Almeida], the greatest grappler of all time, a 14-time time Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu world champion. He’s run through all his opponents, an incredible wrestler. That kind of style is a nightmare for Francis, and that’s a rising star in our division.”
