UFC Hall of Famer Randy Couture commended Francis Ngannou for his fight with the UFC.
Earlier this month, Ngannou was stripped of the UFC heavyweight title and became a free agent after failed negotiations with the company. According to Ngannou, he asked for the right of sponsorships, health insurance, and an advocate that represented fighters at board meetings. He said the UFC was unwilling to accept his requests.
Like Ngannou, Couture is no stranger to negotiating with the UFC. During his run as heavyweight champion, he had a rocky relationship with the company. In an attempt to leave the promotion, Couture took the UFC to court from 2006 to 2007 to be let go from his contract. He ended up settling the dispute and later returning to the UFC.
Randy Couture and the UFC Have a Tough History
During an interview with MMA Fighting, Couture spoke about his past struggles dealing with his UFC and their negotiations.
“The history is there,” Couture said. “When [Zuffa] bought the company, I took them to task over their ancillary rights and the crappy contract they were trying to force me to sign as their heavyweight champion. We asked and put some more clauses in there. The upside to that is I got…
