Francis Ngannou responds to Dana White's claim that he would have made more money if he had stayed in the UFC: "That's a lie"
Francis Ngannou shut down Dana White's claims that he would've made more money if he re-signed with the UFC.
In January 2022, Ngannou fought under the UFC banner for the last time, succesfully defending his heavyweight title against Ciryl Gane. Since then, the Cameroonian-born superstar has accomplished tremedous financial success with boxing matches against Tyson Fury and Anthony Joshua.
Ngannou reportedly made at least $30 million for his two boxing matches, with added sponsorships and bonuses also a factor. Despite the massive paydays, UFC CEO Dana White claimed that 'The Predator' would have made more money if he had re-signed with the UFC, which has been disputed by fans.
During an interview with Shakiel Mahjouri, Ngannou was asked about White's comments and responded by saying:
"Well, unless he was the one writing me a check, I don't see how he can know that. Me, as the inside one that was receiving those money after leaving the UFC, and from what the UFC was proposing was just a trap, it wasn't a solid contract as well. So, that's a lie." [6:14-6:38]
Since leaving the UFC, Francis Ngannou also has a lucrative contract with the Professional Fighters League (PFL). Ngannou's newest MMA partnership added to his finacial success following his departure from the worldwide leader in the sport, even though he hasn't fought in the PFL yet.
Watch Francis Ngannou's entire interview with Shakiel Mahjouri below:
Francis Ngannou prepares for first MMA fight following UFC departure
On October 19, Francis Ngannou will make his highly-anticipated promotional debut in the PFL Super Fights: Battle of the Giants main event. Ngannou is scheduled to face the hard-hitting 2023 PFL heavyweight world champion Renan Ferreira for the vacant PFL heavyweight super fights championship.
Ferreira has fought once against Ryan Bader since winning PFL gold. The Brazilian heavyweight made the most of the opportunity in February, knocking out Bader in 21 seconds. He now looks to capitalize on Ngannou's star power in their upcoming matchup.
There are many questions about Ngannou heading into the October 19 event. The 38-year-old is coming off a violent boxing knockout against Anthony Joshua and hasn't fought in MMA in over two years. It'll be intriguing to see if 'The Predator' can once again silence the doubters and take out Ferreira.