Former UFC champion lavishes praise on Francis Ngannou's negotiation skills: "Testament to his intelligence"
A former UFC champion recently heaped praise on Francis Ngannou for how he handled contract negotiations when his deal with the MMA leader was coming to an end. 'The Predator' remained steadfast on his demands as he wanted the ability to accept boxing bouts, which had been a dream of his.
The former UFC heavyweight champion evaluated all his options before agreeing to terms to join the PFL. The deal was very lucrative and allowed him to compete in boxing bouts as well as serve as the chairman of PFL Africa.
It has certainly paid off in that he has competed in two high-profile boxing bouts against former heavyweight boxing champions Tyson Fury and Anthony Joshua. That was before successfully returning to MMA by defeating Renan Ferreira to win the heavyweight Super Fights championship.
During his latest appearance on Quinton 'Rampage' Jackson's JAXXON PODCAST, former UFC heavyweight champion Frank Mir shared his thoughts on how 'The Predator' handled his negotiations and free agency.
Mir praised Ngannou and mentioned that he is very intelligent for the outlook he had on the sport and his career:
"[Ngannou is] a clever guy, man...I remember when he was talking about his last contract with the UFC and he was sitting there and we're talking. And he kept saying, 'Time's on my side...My contract's gonna run out. They either pay me or they don't.' ... The fact that he was able to put himself in a position where he was able to be patient just is another testament to his intelligence." [12:01]
Check out the full episode featuring Frank Mir's comments regarding Francis Ngannou below:
Former UFC champion Frank Mir admits Francis Ngannou surprised him
In addition to heaping praise on Francis Ngannou, former UFC champion Frank Mir admitted that 'The Predator' surprised him with how he discussed his contract.
During the aforementioned episode, Mir mentioned that Ngannou is a quiet and reserved person, but added that he is very intelligent and calculated with how he thinks about the business side of the sport:
"I was taken a back a little bit there. Not that I underestimated him, you know, he's a quiet guy, doesn't talk but when he was sitting and we were talking, I was looking like, 'Sh*t, you caught me by surprise, man. You're a smart guy'." [13:00]