Former UFC middleweight champion Robert Whittaker has told Francis Ngannou that his issue over signing a new UFC deal is a "good problem to have".
Heavyweight champion Ngannou has been caught up in contractual issues with the promotion since last summer, with next month's title defence against Cyril Gane at UFC 270 marking the last fight on his current deal.
If Ngannou is to win against interim titleholder Gane on January 22, his contract will be automatically extended by either three fights or one year due to the champion's clause.
'The Predator' is refusing to sign a new deal and wants a clause in his new contract that would allow him to box the likes of Tyson Fury or Deontay Wilder whilst still with the UFC.
And Whittaker said that Ngannou is in a good position despite being caught up in the politics of a new contract.
"I hate all the politics and the contracts and the discussions, this and that, all the crap that surrounds being the champ," Whittaker told Mirror Fighting.
"But in saying that, it's also a good problem to have because before he was champion nobody cared where he went or what he did.
"It's a good problem to have, but how he's juggling with it that's him and his management, everybody's different.
"My whole approach when I was champion was trying to secure a good contract was just trying to secure a good contract post-championships or post-fighting.
"Trying to set things up for the longevity for my career more so than right then and there, because there's a bad day out there for everybody and sometimes that happens."
Ngannou's hopes of stepping foot into boxing come after Logan Paul earned £15m for an exhibition fight against ring legend Floyd Mayweather last year.
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The Cameroonian - who earned £400,000 for his last fight - asked what UFC fighters "are doing wrong" after Paul pocketed the huge payday.
And Ngannou said he will lace up 12oz gloves regardless of whether he stays with the UFC or not.
“It’s always been down the line; this is something that I’m not taking my eyes off," he admitted to TMZ.
"This is going [to] happen either way. Even if I stay... If, or when, the UFC and I finalise a deal, the boxing part has to be in it. I can’t see myself retiring without boxing.”
"At the end of the day, it’s just about throwing hands, throwing punches, having a good delivery system to throw those bombs.
“I’m sure that if I deliver my own punches pretty good, I can [do] some damage.”
