Former heavyweight champion Francis Ngannou had problems with the UFC for years because of his contractual demands. It also impacted his relationship with UFC president Dana White, even though their public appearances suggested otherwise. Finally, after a few tense years, ‘The Predator’ left the UFC in search of better prospects that would meet his requirements. His decision to leave the UFC was met with mixed reactions from the combat sports community. Whilst some lauded his bravery, others critiqued him by accusing him of ‘fumbling the bag.’ However, Boxing icon Tyson Fury didn’t agree with the doubters, labeling Ngannou a ‘genius’ for chasing the biggest payday of his career, $10 million.
After years of back and forth, the combat sports stars finally came to an agreement about their fight, after the former champion Ngannou’s UFC departure. The heavyweights are going to clash on 28th October in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, for the ‘Baddest Motherfu*ker on the Planet’ title.
Win or lose, ‘The Predator’ will walk out of the fight with a big bag of money, which is why Fury clapped back at the ex-UFC star’s doubters.
Tyson Fury applauds the ‘genius’ Francis Ngannou
Both Ngannou and Fury recently appeared for a pre-fight press conference to promote their fight. Their interaction was filled with fiery exchanges between the two before Fury addressed the MMA fighter’s decision to leave UFC.
The ‘Gypsy King‘ hailed Ngannou as a genius for choosing to leave his former company and take one of his biggest financially rewarding fights. Tyson said:
“Everyone said he was an idiot for walking away from the UFC and now all of a sudden he’s a genius, isn’t he? Guy’s about to make $10M.“
Tyson Fury: Everyone said he was an idiot for walking away from the UFC and now all of a sudden he’s a genius, isn’t he? Guy’s about to make $10M…#FuryNgannou pic.twitter.com/cZtAYoLsul
— Jed I. Goodman © (@jedigoodman) September 7, 2023
Whilst Ngannou is sailing towards a big payday, not many could have foreseen it a couple of years ago. ‘The Predator’ was quite dominant in the later part of the UFC career, and a fight with Jon Jones was looking inevitable.
However, to everyone’s surprise, in January 2023, the UFC head honcho came out and said that Ngannou had parted ways with UFC due to a breakdown in the contractual negotiations. Shortly after, ‘The Predator’ revealed his rebellious reason for leaving the UFC.
Why did Ngannou leave the UFC?
UFC president Dana White claimed that he offered a financially lucrative deal for Ngannou. However, according to the French-Cameronian fighter, his decision to decline the contract was due to much more than mere numbers.
The former UFC heavyweight champion demanded freedom for crossover boxing fights and insurance for UFC fighters, which proved to be a hindrance in the deal.
Following his exit, Ngannou signed a deal with PFL earlier in 2023, where he has the liberty to venture into boxing crossover fights. According to a report from ESPN, PFL made Ngannou an executive and equity owner of PFL Africa, which would be a regional league in PFL’s Global advisory board.
With such a deal, hardly anyone can say that Ngannou has not had his wishes fulfilled. Thus, despite leaving the frontrunners of MMA, Ngannou seems to be stepping on stable ground. Something that even a great boxer and promoter of his fights like Tyson Fury can realize.
