Francis Ngannou delivered an extraordinary performance against Tyson Fury on October 28, in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. This was one of the biggest crossover fights of the year and was watched by millions of fans worldwide. However, it wasn’t an easy road for Ngannou as before his fight against Fury he had a conflict of interests with UFC president Dana White. ‘The Predator’ had to leave UFC after years of disagreements and went on to sign a deal with the Professional Fighters League (PFL).
Interestingly, now if we look at the entire picture, it seems like his decision to leave UFC has turned out in his favor and has been a good deal for him as he recently spoke about his earnings from Ngannou v. Fury bout.
During an interview with SHOWTIME Sports for The Last Stand podcast, Ngannou revealed his boxing debut purse. He expressed how during his UFC period he was under a contract due to which he couldn’t sign other contracts outside of the UFC that could have generated more money. He said,
“First of all, whatever would have been my next fight, from the moment that I left the UFC, was going to be way different from what I made. Because in the past three years in the UFC, I was in a contract issue that I didn’t want to sign a new contract that would have given me more money, but not enough, right? Also, the conditions and the terms which would have prevented me from doing boxing, which was one of my ultimate dreams that I wanted to do. So it would have been different, even from my next MMA fight, completely different. It’s at least more than everything that I have earned in my life, in my career.”
‘The Predator’ did not reveal the exact earnings. But he did mention that it is more than what he has earned in his entire UFC career. Ngannou during his UFC career made a total of around $3,779,500, as per MMA salaries.
Looking at the figures, it is understandable that his fight purse for Fury vs. Ngannou was surely more than what he made in the past. And now, after his stellar performance against ‘The Gypsy King’, he is on the high road brimming with better opportunities.
Francis Ngannou and his future in Boxing/MMA
‘The Predator’ fought like a beast and his performance was a great spectacle for the fans. During the third round, he knocked out Fury with a powerful left-hand punch but still couldn’t take the victory home. The fight ended up with a controversial split decision victory for Tyson Fury and received a reaction from many renowned A-listers.
The 37-year-old fighter showcased his skills against Fury and proved his mettle, unlocking future opportunities for him. And not just this, but there have been many fighters who have shown their interest in fighting Ngannou with offers of taking up a fight against Jon Jones.
However, despite the loss, Ngannou is now an inspiration for many and has opened new doors in the combat sports world. The Cameroonian-French fighter surely has a great future with opportunities waiting for him.
