‘Let’s not even get into boxing’ - Francis Ngannou says he will earn more in PFL debut than his entire UFC career
Francis Ngannou initially came under fire from many after parting ways with the UFC in search of better and bigger opportunities.
'The Predator' struggled to come to an agreement with several of MMA's prominent promotions, including Bellator MMA and ONE Championship. But Ngannou's deal with the Professional Fighters League (PFL) has put him in a position to have the last laugh.
Francis Ngannou recently stated that he will earn more for his debut fight in the PFL next year than he did throughout his entire UFC career.
It's hard to imagine Ngannou is lying about the figures, and what makes his statement even more shocking is the fact that he was UFC champion for his final fight against Ciryl Gane at UFC 270.
UFC champions are awarded pay-per-view points for cards they compete on, and fighters, including Aljamain Sterling and Alexander Volkanovski, have spoken about the stark difference in pay between a top UFC contender and a UFC champion.
Francis Ngannou appeared in front of the media after completing a workout in preparation for his crossover bout with Tyson Fury, and he said this:
"Let's just say this is the beginning of my career... [The money] is different. A lot different... If I combine all my salary that I have made in MMA, it could maybe be half of what I'm going to make in my next MMA fight. Let's not even go to boxing, let's stay on MMA. I'm speaking for myself... For me it's a huge difference."
Watch the video below from 6:00:
Francis Ngannou's revelation may come as a surprise to fans given the UFC's popularity. It's common knowledge that there is more money in boxing than MMA.
But for 'The Predator' to reveal that his PFL money will dwarf his UFC earnings without his Tyson Fury purse means that Ngannou's decision to leave the world's biggest MMA promotion has paid off in full.
Mike Tyson shares his prediction for Tyson Fury vs. Francis Ngannou
Several months ago, Mike Tyson was announced as Francis Ngannou's trainer ahead of his clash with Tyson Fury.
'Iron Mike' is one of the biggest power punchers that boxing has ever seen, and he will no doubt be a good fit for fellow hard-hitter Ngannou.
Whilst Fury will no doubt be the superior techinical boxer of the two, Mike Tyson believes that Francis Ngannou could certainly cause an upset. 'Iron Mike' shared his prediction for the bout during an interview with Jim Rome, and he said this:
"[Ngannou] punches like God knows who, man. He's fast, he moves quicker, I worked with his speed, and listen man, he only has to land one or two [punches]. Tyson has never been in the ring with a guy that can punch this hard."
Watch the video below from 3:40: