Today has seen the news that former UFC heavyweight champion Francis Ngannou has finally ended his period of free agency. After months of speculation, ‘The Predator’ has officially signed with the PFL promotion.
According to a report in the NY Times, Ngannou’s deal involves “equity and leadership” in the promotion, and he will act as the chairman of the new PFL Africa division.
Reportedly, he will also not return to MMA until 2024, as his new contract allows him to pursue a big-time boxing match this year.
Now, some more details on Ngannou’s deal with the PFL have come to light via a number of sources.
Firstly, ‘The Predator’ himself has posted a video to his own YouTube channel answering some questions fans might have on his contract. According to Ngannou, the deal is the “best business decision (he’s) ever made”, with the PFL’s push into Africa in particular exciting him:
“This decision with PFL wasn’t done overnight, believe me, it was a thoughtful process to get here…some of you might disagree that this is a great decision and I get it, it’s okay, but for me, my friends, my family and for Africa, this is the best decision that I will ever take for my career, for my business and for everything.”
TSN Sports’ Aaron Bronsteter has gone into a little more depth on Ngannou’s decision on Twitter, suggesting that the PFL has offered to pay his opponent a minimum purse of $2m, and that he still hopes to fight Deontay Wilder in the near future.
However, renowned MMA reporter John S. Nash has broken perhaps the most fascinating piece of news.
According to him, ‘The Predator’ may have made more money had he taken the deal that was offered to him by the UFC earlier in the year. The amount mentioned here was “more than $10m,” suggesting that Ngannou will be making slightly less than that with the PFL.
However, the UFC’s offer did not allow Ngannou to box, nor did it offer the “freedom and protections” that the Cameroon native was looking for.
However, renowned MMA reporter John S. Nash has broken perhaps the most fascinating piece of news.
According to him, ‘The Predator’ may have made more money had he taken the deal that was offered to him by the UFC earlier in the year. The amount mentioned here was “more than $10m,” suggesting that Ngannou will be making slightly less than that with the PFL.
However, the UFC’s offer did not allow Ngannou to box, nor did it offer the “freedom and protections” that the Cameroon native was looking for.
Francis Ngannou’s decision to leave the UFC remains one of the most seismic calls from a reigning champion in recent years. Only time will tell whether he’s made the right decision.
Francis Ngannou PFL contract: What did Jake Paul say?
The announcement that Francis Ngannou has signed with the PFL has shocked the MMA world today, and the fan reaction to his new contract has been largely mixed.
One person who is clearly hyped for ‘The Predator’ to arrive in the PFL, though, is YouTube sensation Jake Paul. ‘The Problem Child’ took to Twitter with a video to state the following:
“Francis, welcome to the PFL! Everybody, it is official, this is massive, massive, massive, news in MMA. We have some huge fights on the horizon, congratulations Francis, you deserve this! The best heavyweight in the f*cking world to the PFL! And PFL Africa’s gonna be massive, so excited, let’s go!”
Paul, of course, signed with the PFL back in January in a bid to launch his own MMA career in the near future.