The race continues for a number of MMA organisations looking to secure the services of former UFC heavyweight champion Francis Ngannou.
Ngannou is currently a free agent after failing to strike a deal with the UFC earlier this year and is now weighing up his options in the world of combat sports.
The 36-year-old has made no secret that he would like to venture into the world of professional boxing, but maybe returning to MMA is the easiest way to continue builiding his superstar status.
Over recent months Ngannou has been linked with moves to the likes of the Professional Fighters' League (PFL) and ONE Championship who have recently announced that they are taking themselves out of the running to sign the Cameroon fighter.
Reacting to the news on The DAZN MMA Show, Dan Hardy believes the announcement ONE was a simple PR move and it's more a case of Ngannou sticking to his guns when it comes to what he wants for the next step of his MMA career.
"I thought to myself if I was Francis Ngannou, what do I want from this?," Hardy said.
"He stood his ground with the UFC because he wanted things other than more money. He wanted more of a say for the fighters, he wanted more protection out of the decision making around fighters’ careers.
"I think he’s going to stick to his guns until he gets that regardless of where he goes.
"You have also got to think about what his opportunities are going forward."
Hardy then went onto explain why ONE Championship may not have been the best move for Ngannou if he did sign for the organisation.
"If he signs with ONE Championship, which is a great organisation, I enjoy watching One Championship but the thing that interests me is the lighter weight classes.
"The higher up the weight classes it goes, the thinner it goes.
"If you’re looking at heavyweight, who are you going to put in there against Ngannou if he signs a ONE contract.
"You’ve got Arjen Singh Bhullar, Anatoly Malykhin, Brandon Vera, you’re struggling with opponents that he will absolutely murder in the opening seconds of the fight."
Watch the full debate on Francis Ngannou's next move on The DAZN MMA Show here.