ONE Championship CEO Chatri Sityodtong is set to make the promotion’s final offer to heavyweight superstar Francis Ngannou this coming weekend.
In an interview with Ariel Helwani on The MMA Hour, Sityodtong revealed that he’s set to travel to Los Angeles this weekend to give Ngannou ONE’s final offer.
Sityodtong added that ONE Championship is fully capable of giving the best contract to the former UFC heavyweight world champion.
“He’s waiting for our final offer. I’m gonna meet Francis on Saturday in LA. For sure ONE can give him the best offer on the table, but it has to work for him and us,” said Chatri Sityodtong.
Francis Ngannou created shockwaves in the mixed martial arts world when he left the UFC earlier this year. That surprising move subsequently created a bidding war for the Cameroonian’s coveted signature.
The 6-foot-4 heavyweight will certainly be a draw with ONE Championship if he does sign with the promotion. Ngannou will immediately get into high-profile matches in ONE Championship’s heavyweight division, and it’s not a far-fetched proposition to see ‘The Predator’ immediately challenging for the world title once he arrives in the circle.
Arjan Bhullar currently holds the ONE heavyweight world title but he’s been inactive for quite some time due to injuries. While he was out, Anatoly Malykhin captivated the audience with his brutish strength and laid-back demeanor.
Malykhin became the ONE interim heavyweight world champion when he knocked out Kirill Grishenko in February 2022. He then became a two-division world champion when he took the ONE light heavyweight world title from Reinier de Ridder at ONE on Prime Video 5.
Coincidentally, Bhullar and Malykhin are set for a world title unification match at ONE Fight Night 12 this July 14 and the card will be streamed live and free to Prime Video subscribers in North America.
Watch Sityodtong’s interview below: