In the space of a few short months, Francis Ngannou has secured a fight with two of the biggest names in boxing: Tyson Fury and Anthony Joshua. ‘The Predator’ walked away from the UFC, choosing to bet on himself. So far, it appears as though Ngannou made the right call. In the process, he is also serving as a source of inspiration to many fighters as well as academics in what he has achieved.
According to a recent tweet, Ngannou’s decision to move away from the UFC and forge his path is now a case study at Harvard Business School. Anita Elberse, a professor at Harvard Business School, put out a tweet saying,
“New case alert! The unparalleled @francis_ngannou now stars in his own @HarvardHBScase study, and rightly so. (Thank you, @Marquel_Martin, for making it all possible!) Leave a comment below if you want a chance to win a free preview copy!”
New case alert! The unparalleled @francis_ngannou now stars in his own @HarvardHBS case study, and rightly so. (Thank you, @Marquel_Martin, for making it all possible! ) Leave a comment below if you want a chance to win a free preview copy! pic.twitter.com/XHS80RSI1e
— Anita Elberse (@anitaelberse) January 15, 2024
‘The Predator’ replied to the tweet, saying,
“The Business of Sport @HardvardHBS @anitaelberse.”
The business of sport ♟️ @HarvardHBS @anitaelberse https://t.co/pxIOSqLzUu
— Francis Ngannou (@francis_ngannou) January 15, 2024
Ngannou’s journey in the UFC and the ultimate end of the same is something movies are made out of. After almost a decade with the UFC, ‘The Predator’ parted ways in search of better opportunities.
Dana White stated that Ngannou had a bunch of unrealistic demands that did not allow for both parties to agree on an extension. However, for Ngannou, the demands were more than just about money. Soon after parting ways with the UFC, Ngannou signed for the PFL.
Shortly after that, he put on a performance for the ages against the best heavyweight boxer of this generation, Tyson Fury. Now, Ngannou is preparing to take on Anthony Joshua and secure his first professional win in boxing. However, there is a bigger problem that awaits him on the other side.
Francis Ngannou’s big challenge after Anthony Joshua
If Francis Ngannou were to beat Anthony Joshua, there is unfortunately a bigger challenge that awaits him on the other side. PFL founder Donn Davis stated that Ngannou will return to MMA after the Joshua fight. However, if he beats Joshua, he will become one of the biggest stars in combat sports with no near equal in the PFL.
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Therefore, if he returns to MMA, there will not be a name big enough to put against Ngannou. Also, Ngannou is set to earn $20 million for his fight against Joshua, excluding PPV points. He will not earn anywhere near that amount in the PFL. Therefore, securing a win in his next fight comes with a plethora of positives as well as a few negatives as well for Francis Ngannou.