How Francis Ngannou’s gamble on himself paid off
Despite the urging from many of his fellow fighters to go back to the UFC hat in hand, Francis Ngannou was willing to bet on himself as he pursued employment opportunities outside of the world’s largest mixed martial arts organization.
That gamble paid off on Tuesday as Ngannou announced he had signed a multi-fight deal with the Professional Fighters League — one that gives the 36-year-old equity in the company and allows him the freedom to pursue boxing fights outside the organization, as first reported by the New York Times.
“Let’s just say, all-in my deal with P.F.L. is more than anyone else offered,” Ngannou told the New York Times. “…I’m very excited about this deal with the P.F.L. because they basically showed what I was expecting. They didn’t just show up as a promotion that was looking for a fighter, but really came as a partner that sees more value in you as a person.”
Stripped of the UFC heavyweight title in January after turning down a new contract with the UFC, Ngannou was subsequently criticized by UFC president Dana White for turning down a super-fight with current heavyweight champion Jon Jones and scoffing at a deal that would have made him the highest-paid heavyweight in the history of the company.
Ngannou maintained that the actual dollar amount of the contract was not the driving factor in his decision to part ways with the UFC. Instead, he claimed to be looking for a more all-encompassing deal that catered to some of his personal goals.
He got just that with the PFL. Aside from fighting, Ngannou will also serve as the chairman of PFL Africa as the promotion plans an expansion into the country in the near future. He will also serve on the PFL advisory board and oversee fighter interests for things like higher wages for fighters and health insurance — both sticking points in negotiations with the UFC.
“The PFL has taken into consideration a lot of things that matter to me, a lot of things that I have been asking for,” Ngannou said during an interview on the PFL Twitter account. “Now we have a PFL Africa, which is one of the biggest parts of this contract. That was something that as soon as they brought that up, I got very excited about it. We will have stuff like a fighter advisor board…to advocate on the fighter’s behalf. Stuff like that made PFL the best fit for me.”
Ngannou’s promotional debut is expected sometime in mid-2024 against a yet-to-be-determined opponent. He also reportedly has a boxing match in the works for later in 2023.
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