"That'd be my training expenses" - When Mike Tyson voiced his disdain for Francis Ngannou's "atrocious" UFC fight pay
Mike Tyson was famously a part of Francis Ngannou's team as 'The Predator' prepared to take on Tyson Fury in his professional boxing debut.
Tyson, who is one of the most fearsome boxers of all-time, is widely regarded by many as one of the best to ever lace up the gloves, and served as Ngannou's trainer in the lead-up to the Tyson Fury bout.
Finances played a big part in Ngannou's decision to ultimately leave the UFC to pursue boxing fights. Israel Adesanya, a friend of Ngannou's, once appeared on an episode of Hotboxin' with Mike Tyson, and spoke to the former heavyweight king about how much Ngannou was getting paid in the UFC, calling it "atrocious".
'The Last Stylebender' also revealed that Ngannou received "$600k" for his UFC 270 heavyweight title fight against Ciryl Gane, which he won via unanimous decision. This appeared to bother Tyson, who was of the opinion that 'The Predator' was being underpaid. He said:
"Listen, that'd be my training expenses...That's my training expenses. People would pay me to do commercials and stuff and I would make sure they paid me in advance but I might not show up or something." [h/t - MMA News]
Check out the whole episode here:
Francis Ngannou speaks on Anthony Joshua ahead of March 8 bout
Francis Ngannou recently spoke to Queensberry Promotions, and told them what he really thinks about Anthony Joshua, who he will take on in his second professional boxing match on March 8, 2024 in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. He spoke on who he would like to face, and outlined his vision for his boxing career.
'The Predator' said:
"Well, I think he is one of the greats. One of the best fighters out there. I always said whenever I get into boxing, it's going to be three names - Tyson Fury, Anthony Joshua and Deontay Wilder. And so far, the landscape hasn't changed. I think Oleksandr Usyk is adding himself on the list. But basically, those are the pioneers of boxing in this generation."
Check out Francis Ngannou's comments here: