Francis Ngannou previously parted ways with the UFC, relinquishing his heavyweight title in the process. One of the most dangerous men to ever step inside the Octagon, it was sad to see Ngannou depart. For the most part, it was widely reported that Ngannou was unable to come to terms with the UFC.
However, speaking to Joe Rogan, Ngannou revealed what really went on behind the scenes. Previously, Ngannou stated that he had discussed his new contract with Dana White and Hunter Campbell. Although the UFC did present a lucrative offer, Ngannou felt as though he was being undervalued and denied his freedom. Notably, the UFC also made him forego a very beneficial sponsorship as well.
In a recent episode Ngannou told Joe Rogan, “After the Stipe fight, I had a deal on the table for over $1 million. So I was going to have $1.2 million, which is the money that I didn’t, I never have, in the fight, I was going to have in the sponsorship. The deal was this close to signing, and then they announced the Crypto.com deal”.
Further, Ngannou added that the UFC then had his lucrative sponsorship deal canceled. According to the higher-ups in the organization, Ngannou’s deal would have clashed with that of Crypto.com. Moreover, as per the UFC’s regulations, no fighter is allowed to represent any sponsors of their own. Thus, the UFC has a strict policy and instead provides fighters with incentive pay for outfitting requirements during their fight weeks.
How much did Francis Ngannou make in the UFC?
Prior to his release, Francis was one of the UFC’s biggest stars and a fearsome opponent for any fighter. While his punching power was an anomaly on its own, his hulking physique made things even more scary. In the aforementioned fight against Stipe Miocic at UFC 260, Ngannou made his name known to the world after folding the former heavyweight champ with a devastating knockout.
Those following ‘The Predator’ for a while, will know that he worked hard to get to where he is today. After running away from his hometown, Ngannou found himself homeless on the streets of Paris. After being taken in by Fernand Lopez, Ngannou began his journey to become one of the most dominant fighters in the UFC. With that said, let’s take a look at how much money Ngannou made during his stint in the UFC.
Notably, Ngannou ran through some of the biggest names in the division, pocketing hefty bonuses in the process as well. For his fights against Cain Velasquez, Junior dos Santos, and Jairzinho Rozenstruik, Francis took home $225,000, $300,000, and $320,000 respectively. Moreover, his biggest paydays came against Stipe Miocic at UFC 260 ($580,000) and Ciryl Gane at UFC 270 ($1,042,000). Thus, in his UFC tenure, Ngannou raked in around $3-3.5 million.
Whilst it is no chump change, viewers will definitely side with Ngannou and agree that it is less than what he deserved. Fortunately, sources have revealed that Ngannou will make more money for his fight with Tyson Fury than he did in his entire UFC career. Thus, walking away from the UFC may well pay dividends for the Cameroonian sooner than expected.
