"You could always go back to shoveling sand" - Fans give Francis Ngannou grief for complaining about lack of sponsorship
Francis Ngannou received flak from fans on social media after the UFC heavyweight champion complained about the fighters' lack of sponsorship.
Before 2015, UFC fighters were allowed to wear fight gear with their own sponsors' logos. However, that stream of income was taken away from the athletes when the UFC inked an exclusive uniform deal with Reebok and then with Venum after that.
Dana White explained that a deal was put in place to give the UFC presentation a more professional look. As far as Ngannou is concerned, however, the UFC should still allow fighters to have at least two sponsored logos on their uniforms. In that way, Ngannou believes a happy medium between uniformity and profitability can be achieved.
Check out the tweet below:
I understand that the sport needs to look good with uniforms but we should at least have a right for a minimum of 2 approved sponsors for in the octagon.
Unfortunately, a few uninformed fans seem to have taken issue with Ngannou's statement. A group of Twitter users – who appear to have very little knowledge of the situation – thinks Ngannou is merely complaining for the sake of it.
One user told Ngannou that he could always go back to mining sand in Cameroon. Another said that 'The Predator' knew exactly what he was signing up for when he agreed to join the UFC.
@francis_ngannou You could always go back to shoveling sand
@francis_ngannou You saw a contract before you signed it. Stop playing victim here. UFC gave you the platform before any brand noticed you. You can go to other brands and fight. Don't stay and start crying. It not professional! Learn from Izzy and Usman still
@francis_ngannou Why are you worried about things that have nothing to do with actually fighting in the octagon? You're a paper champion. You're not a real champ. Retire from the UFC and go do something else. Maybe fighting is not for you.
Fortunately, most Twitter users agreed with Ngannou's suggestion. Some believe fighters deserve more opportunities to earn, while others just want to see fighters wear personalized gear again.
@francis_ngannou Makes sense all around... The fighters get more pay and it doesn't have to come out of the UFC/Dana's pocket
@francis_ngannou The uniform idea is lame. The old school trunks covered in sponsors was dope. Uniforms did nothing but take money out of the fighters pockets.
@francis_ngannou When the Reebok deal came around and @BrendanSchaub was fighting hard against it, none of the locker room had his back. Little late to be jumping on that train.
@francis_ngannou Y’all gotta come together as a full roster and agree on a absolute minimum and stick it to em that’s the only way. Dana know y’all independent and don’t give a crap about one another and he using it to his advantage! He can replace pretty much any individual fighter, not all
@francis_ngannou Every real fight fan misses fighters having their own shorts, it have fighters personalities and made them memorable. Iceman and Cro Cop we're my two favorite
@francis_ngannou Is that due to the conflict of interest between brands who support UFC and the athlete or you can't simple have any sponsor?
@hateaccount_pt @francis_ngannou Just make it that u can't get sponsorship from couple of industry as main partner is with UFC. Like NFL players and alcohol companies outside of Budweiser
@francis_ngannou Itll be better if y'all were y'all own entity like boxers and can pick what and as many sponsors you like. You shouldn't have to beg for permission when ppl are there to see y'all not these so called businesses
@francis_ngannou I miss the old fight trunks. You guys deserve more money and to have your own sponsors. Crazy how they call you “independent contractors” yet they don’t treat you like it.
@francis_ngannou You’re right Champ, I was watching the card this weekend and I just couldn’t help but notice how there was like 20 different sponsors all over the octagon, the posts and even outside of the octagon on the apron. The UFC pockets 95% probably and divides the other 5% to fighters.
Francis Ngannou claims he lost over $1 million due to UFC sponsorship
Francis Ngannou has been outspoken when it comes to the topic of fighter pay. The reigning UFC heavyweight champ has been in an ongoing contract dispute with the promotion and has threatened to leave the company due to issues that go way beyond money.
Recently, former UFC middleweight champion Luke Rockhold aired his own grievances during Wednesday's media day as he sounded off about fighter pay. Ngannou apparently caught wind of Rockhold's comments and claimed to have been inspired to speak up.
"Listening to Luke's interview was very pertinent," Ngannou wrote on Twitter. "A lot of things that nobody is talking about it and the company just rolls with it."
Check out Francis Ngannou's tweets below:
Listening to Luke's interview was very pertinent.
A lot of things that nobody is talking about it and the company just rolls with it.
Ngannou then fired off a series of tweets and revealed that he missed out on a deal worth over $1 million due to the UFC's sponsorship deal with Crypto.com.
Last year I lost a deal of over a million dollars from a crypto exchange because the partnership with CRYPTO .COM
What do I got from it ? 🤔
'The Predator' is currently recovering from an injury he suffered earlier this year. According to the champion, the earliest he can return to action is in December or in early 2023.