Despite leaving the world’s top MMA company, Francis Ngannou, the former UFC heavyweight champion, is making significant strides in his career. The Cameroonian boxer inked a lucrative agreement with the renowned organization PFL (Professional Fighting League) earlier this year, in which he also acquired administrative privileges. Ngannou just reached another milestone by negotiating a boxing match against heavyweight champion Tyson Fury.
The fight is expected to earn Ngannou one of the highest paydays of his life, perhaps over $8 million. Taking all of this into account, the former UFC heavyweight champion feels he has proven UFC president Dana White wrong.
What did Francis Ngannou say about Dana White?
Francis Ngannou for a long time has been in UFC’s bad books. The former heavyweight champion has had severe contractual disagreements with the corporation for the past year.
According to sources, ‘The Predator’ sought freedom to box outside of the UFC, health insurance, and other perks in his new UFC deal. Ngannou eventually departed UFC earlier this year after failing to reach an agreement on these terms.
“For some reason, I always prove Dana White wrong, even when he’s on my side.”@francis_ngannou on landing his dream fight with @Tyson_Fury
🚨Hear the FULL interview with @AndreasHale & @RyanMcKinnell, Friday at 3pm ET, on Unlocking the Cage! pic.twitter.com/Qi6bpl070n
— MMA on SiriusXM (@MMAonSiriusXM) July 13, 2023
Following his exit from the UFC, many accused him of ‘fumbling the bank’ and also warned him of his downfall. Fortunately, Ngannou turned the tables by signing deal after deal. Talking about the same Ngannou in an interview with SiriusXM said:
“For some reason, I always prove Dana White wrong… even when he’s on my side. I always prove him wrong, every single time. This is just our story.”
Ngannou went on to say that White was interested in staging an MMA battle between Jon Jones and Tyson Fury. But, according to Ngannou, White was indifferent about Ngannou meeting Fury in a boxing match, which irritated him. Nevertheless, now the Cameroonian fighter is a step closer to his dream.
Ngannou set to receive $8 million payday
After months of negotiations, the former UFC heavyweight ultimately managed to secure a boxing bout against renowned heavyweight Tyson Fury. According to IFL TV, Ngannou is expected to make a stunning $8 million from this fight.
This amount is, apparently, 13x more than what Ngannou earned in his last title defense against Ciryl Gane in the UFC. Ngannou vs. Fury will take place on 28th October in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
The match will take place under standard boxing rules. However, per reports, the undefeated British boxer won’t put his title on the line for this bout. Given their destructive power, this match will surely serve as a delightful treat for the fans.
