Francis Ngannou is taking a page out of the Jay-Z book of entrepreneurship, because he’s “showing you how to do this, son!” After months of negotiating and over a year of professional inactivity, “The Predator” has signed a historic deal with the Professional Fighters League.
The Cameroonian heavyweight has executed a deal that makes him one of the most intelligent fighters in MMA history. In a press release announcing the signing, the agreement was referred to as a “strategic partnership” based on nontraditional elements outside a standard fighter promotional agreement. Ngannou will not be a part of the regular Professional Fighters League tournament schedule.
Instead, he will debut in the league’s “Super Fight Division” in 2024 and share in the pay-per-view revenue for his fights.
Francis Ngannou Sticks It To Dana White
Additionally, he will lead the league’s push into Africa as chairman and minority equity owner of the organization’s new PFL Africa division. He will serve on the PFL athlete advisory board. Oh, and he can pursue boxing, too, as the agreement is just for his athletic services in MMA.
The former UFC heavyweight champion took to YouTube to reassure fans that he is doing better than all right; he did it his way.
“This is the best business decision that I have ever done,” Ngannou said in the video. “At the beginning of my free agency, I didn’t know that I could have a deal structure where I could have all this in one deal. I have myself a good guarantee, which is more important. And most importantly, I was even able to have a guarantee of $2 million for my opponent, [so] whomever I’m going to fight next is going to make money too.
“I appreciate your concern. I appreciate your worries about me. But man, believe me, I’m doing great,” he added. “With all due respect to all the other promotions, nobody could really get anywhere close to this point. All the stuff that mattered to me, nobody really cared about it. Everybody just wants to get a fight out of you and shake hands goodbye.
“Which is something I don’t have here. No matter what other promoters say, no matter what some fighters say, no matter what some media say, who do you think is the baddest motherf***er on the planet? Me.”
The New Standard In MMA
According to reports, Ngannou will receive “just shy” of eight figures for each of the two to three fights on the deal, complete control over his sponsors, and receive a salary as a PFL brand ambassador. He is also making sure his opponents make $2 million per fight.
Take that, Dana White. Ngannou famously left the UFC after his contract ended, and negotiations went south for his return.
“Before my last fight, when I fought Ciryl Gane, I met with Dana [White] in a restaurant,” Ngannou said on The MMA Hour. “I went to him, we spoke. I said, ‘I appreciate everything that you’ve done for me. I appreciate all the help, but at this point, I feel like I don’t belong anymore.
“I feel like I’m not in the promotion. I’m in a fight in the promotion and I don’t know exactly how I got into a fight with the promotion.’ And he was like, ‘Yes, we want you here. I think you have to change your team,’ or something.
“I was like, ‘I feel like I’ve been in a promotion lately without a promoter. I don’t have a promoter anymore.’ I said this to him, ‘I don’t feel like I belong.’ [White said,] ‘What do you mean? Have you ever wanted to come to an event and you don’t get tickets? Or have you ever wanted to go to the P.I. (UFC Performance Institute) and couldn’t access?’
“For a moment I thought about it and I was like, this guy is so good. Look at how he switched the situation. So I’m working my whole life to have access to events and the P.I.?”
Former UFC heavyweight champion turned UFC commentator Daniel Cormier believes Ngannou has just evolved the sport of MMA.
“Francis Ngannou has set a new standard,” Cormier said on his ESPN show D.C. & R.C. “It kind of feels like go play less golf for more money … big deal for Francis Ngannou. Congratulations to the former UFC heavyweight champion on really setting a new standard for what is out there in the free-agent market. It feels real after this one. It makes MMA feel real after seeing what Francis Ngannou just did.”
