Topic: The UFC Info and Prediction Thread - page 374. (Read 100100 times)

I wonder what the best option for NGANNOU is come his free agency. If he fights the gypsy king it will definitely boost his public profile along side Connor. Connor is dropping off. How long will these McGregor stans hold onto the lucky clover as he continues down the path of his obviously demise. Adesanya needs another finish against Whittaker to continue having his name in the starlight, I wonder how many fights he will be involved in for the reminder of contact with uncle Dana. As he has previously spoke of retirement, with his motivation unclear, I feel he knows he better quit while ahead. These up and coming fights in the division are only getting betterß

The top spots there are all taken by Connor. Take McGregor out of those and where else does everyone stack? I'm sure Ngannou is in the top ten, but just because he's not bringing in what Connor is doesn't mean he doesn't deserve more money. Regardless of where he is in the PPV rankings he's still a big draw and UFC's superstar heavyweight right now. I think his stock will only rise he if he keep fighting specially if he can get another of those vicious KOs. If he's landing more acting gigs that's even more eyeballs on him and the sport.


Ngannou probably will walk away if he doesn't get what he wants. And assuming you're talking about the Mayweather/McGregor fight he did that whilst still under contract with the UFC and it was a cross promo event with the UFC and Dana taking a cut of Connor's purse (see the UFC logo at the bottom):



I think Dana should extend the same courtesy that he did to Connor and let him box. If he doesn't then he'll probably just lose Francis all together so it's lose/lose for Dana/UFC in my opinion.

I think Israel Adesanya (got 600+ for his last fight) and Kamaru Usman (put a million in his pocket for last fight) are "second biggest draw right now".

I just watch https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_UFC_records#Finances and make conclusion that Ngannou is not the biggest star in UFC, that allows him to dictate his rules. Maybe you are right, and the only thing he isnt happy in his contract is the clause that does not allow him to fight outside UFC. If we return to McGregor, he gave up two belts, did not sign new contract with UFC and had a fight against McGregor. Why dont Francis Ngannou dont want to do the same?

Wilder caught him seriously in every fight I think, but with the last fight there was a couple of times where I thought it was over for both of them but they both got up and kept fighting. I need to watch the trilogy again but the last fight was a certified classic. Had everything you want from a fight.


He's still contracted for one more fight in the UFC but that's coming to an end. He signed the deal 5 years ago I believe and his stock has risen considerably since then. Ngannou probably will leave if he doesn't get the terms he wants, but due to the him winning the Gane fight he has a champions clause which means he's contractually obligated to defend the title but that apparently expires in December due to there being a 5 year limit in his contract so he could just run it down and become a free agent or take a better deal from the UFC. Regarding boxing, Tyson Fury is seemingly actively looking to fight Ngannou and has called him out several times even after the Gane fight: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1hlbzgbnCAw

As for the pay, the base pay is public and announced by the California commission what the fighters get and 600k isn't much for where Francis is at right now:

https://www.mmafighting.com/2022/1/23/22897235/ufc-270-salaries-francis-ngannou-earns-600000-purse-for-win-over-ciryl-gane


It's not really like that though. His contract is up and he's trying to negotiate more before re-signing. The bigger you get the more money you can demand just like McGregor. Ngannou is 10 times bigger now than he was 5 years ago so he should be expecting 1 million plus. If the money isn't there PPV wise then I could understand but I'm sure it did pretty well given it was a fight between the two current best heavyweights. I don't believe the PPV numbers were released for Francis' last fights so it's hard to tell.


Take McGregor out of the equation since he's out of action now and who is the second biggest draw right now? It's probably Francis. I don't know what his PPV numbers are like but they must be pretty big. Probably nowhere close to Connor but still enough to justify a bigger paycheck. I don't think Francis is being disrespectful or asking too much especially since his contract is effectively done or will be by the end of the year. I think he just wants what he believes he deserves or at least the option to go do a big-bucks boxing match.

Nope, however Ngannou's contract is effectively run its course, he has a right to demand more money, just as everyone else in the UFC. Doesn't mean they'll get it, but they can demand it. However, I do think a multi million pound company should be looking after their fighters more, and not exploiting them as much as they do. The only saving grace is they cover any medical bills the fighters might need, however that's just because its within their best interest to keep them fit, and fighting.

However, where the example you've given, and Ngannou's situation differs is; Ngannou has been locked in on that contract, and as long as he continues winning, he has to continue fighting for the same rate. You aren't going to do that for an independent contractor. Plus, Ngannou isn't allowed to offer his services to anyone else, which you wouldn't get a plumber to agree too either.

So, while his contract might say X, Y, and Z it doesn't mean it's fair. Ngannou signed his contract when he was eager, young, and wanted to earn money. He came from a poor background, and probably couldn't afford any kind of legal representative so they could look over the contract. If my assumption is correct, you could argue that's exploitation from the UFC's stand point.

I would left and move to a place with a higher salary. Of course I would have to work 2 weeks after I sign papers that I leave (obligatory in our country). But why Francis is not doing this? Why is he still in UFC? You say due to contract? But he knew what he was signing. Maybe because there is no real offer for a boxing match for him and he is just speculation on his salary in UFC?


Fighter should be paid the amount stated in his contract. When a plumber says he will charge you 1k, after you have agreed for 200 bucks, saying that electricians get more for their job, would you pay more?

McGregor gets paid more for his name and for the level of popularity he moved UFC on. Do you think Ngannou did same for promoting UFC? He is just a big guy that brutally knocks people out. Yes, people enjoy to see how he knocks people. Currently Derrik Lewis holds the record for most knockouts in UFC, so Ngannou is not the most brutal beast in octagon.

Ngannou fights are not in PPV top, he is not the chicken that gives golden eggs. Should he be paid millions if UFC is not earning as much as from McGregor fights ?

That's the one. Just watched it now, only saw a write up of it previously. He definitely doesn't convince me, I don't think he's even convincing himself there. Anyway, we'll probably not find out, although if there's any truth to Dana threatening Ngannou's management of taking them to court, I very much doubt things were as civil as he is implying here.

I'd have to verify the Bisping event though. Not like that proves much at all though.

Yeah, they'll definitely be spinning it that way to get as much PPV's as possible. I mean I'm interested, we saw with Wilder that despite his lack of technical ability compared to Fury, he still caught him three times was it? The last fight they had, was probably the first time I've seen Fury actually hurt, he normally recovers quite well, but his legs did look a bit jelly like the last time, and I think Wilder noticed that too with the way he stepped up the pressure in that round. I was legitimately worried during that round, whereas the fights previously I wasn't too worried, despite that incredible knockdown where suddenly seemed to pop up.

I can see Ngannou having a similar effect if Fury starts trading with him. Though, if he goes with the approach of point scoring, I see Ngannou struggling just as he did with landing on Gane.

He doesn't need to leave the UFC if he can get an allowance to fight in boxing like McGregor did. And Francis might not be technically a household name just yet but he's getting there and is still the best heavyweight in the UFC not to mention he is on record as the hardest hitter on the planet:


https://www.mirror.co.uk/sport/other-sports/mma/francis-ngannou-power-ufc-270-26006147

That to me adds a level of excitement to the potential Fury fight, especially when Fury is unbeaten and most of Francis' fights don't make it past the first two rounds. Could Ngannou be the first person to fully KO Fury? And that's certainly how they'll sell it. He has the potential to knock anyone out on this planet so I'd love to see how Fury defends against that. Fury will easily outbox him but if Ngannou comes out swinging it could be a different matter. That's what I like about these cross-promo events is you don't really know what's going to happen and there's always the novelty element there. Win or lose for Francis he can just ride off into the sunset with his payday or go do something else like acting and he's already popped up in a couple of films (the last Fast & Furious and the upcoming Jackass movie and I'm sure there'll be many more). If he can get his UFC contract sorted then he can just go back to that and it shouldn't be impossible if Connor can do it. Even if Dana hates his guts (which I don't think he actually does) it would still be a huge blow for the UFC to lose him so it's in his interests to keep him happy. Give him a little more cash per fight and allow him to fight a boxing superstar and take a small cut of that then everyone is happy.

Now, I am not an MCG fanboy by any means, nor am I a Francis denier, but he is nowhere close to stardom Conor was when he went to boxing. Could he make a couple of mil in boxing? Perhaps, but what after that? He will not be let back into the UFC. If anything, the UFC would gladly get rid of him to keep the status quo. So comparing Francis to Conor in terms of how much money he can make to comparable popularity is not really an indicator, because their stardom is, in fact, not comparable. Before Conor went boxing he was already somewhat of a household name. If we look outside of the MMA bubble, is Francis really known? No, not really. People have heard of him and they know of his freak punching power and his physical atributs, but besides that? No, not on the level MCG was. Can he become a bigger star in his own right? Yes he can, but he's not there yet.

Dana addressed why he wasn't there for the belt. He said there was something going on backstage: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eYFGulmviT8

Not sure I believe him though.


Francis made Francis a star and some of the superstars outgrow the UFC like McGregor. I don't think there's many fighters in the UFC left for Francis either other than maybe a Gane rematch. Think of it like this though, would you work a job for 500k a year when you know you can go elsewhere to do the same thing and get paid multiple millions? UFC is a far harder sport than boxing as well. He would make multiple millions in boxing fighting a heavyweight superstar and he could walk into one straight away. Tyson Fury seems to be actively wanting this fight and he's the highest payday in boxing right now. Do you think Francis should be paid more than 500-600k for a fight? McGregor gets millions and he's not even a champ. I think people forget about how much money the fighters have to pay just to stay fit and healthy and in the game as well. It's not just a gym membership they have to pay for. They've got an entire team. A manger, a coach (often several in multiple disciplines), nutritionists, chefs etc. Then there's all the travel and accommodation costs. Once you've paid all that there's often not that much left from their pay. This effects the smaller fighters even more who are only getting 20k per fight etc. I remember reading that many up and coming fighters actually lose money because it costs so much just to prepare for a fight.

According to reports Dana gave an interview, which I'll admit I haven't watched yet, but during the interview he claimed he had other business going on outside the arena on the night of Ngannou vs Gane, and claimed he left either before or during the co main event. Just weird how he's handed out quite a few belts in his history, over one hundred belts, and it so happens that this night he was called out.

I'm not sure what sort of business could take him out, since I'm assuming he wouldn't have planned business to be on at the same time. This could be potentially related to the reports that Dana threatened to take Ngannou's manager to court, but who knows.

Yeah, knowing Dana he probably chuck the exact same figures at him even though he's been quite clear he wants either more freedom in the contract or better money, which is only right. He has worked himself up to a position where he can start demanding more.

UFC did make him and I think he is really grateful to UFC for that. But it's absolutely not right to give him less money.
UFC does not have the right to do that to any fighters. And I think Francis declined the contract because he thought he was not getting the money that he should be getting.

Well, we have seen UFC give their poster boy a lot of money, and then that fighter started bragging about it, and now they don't want to pay a champion fighter as he likes?
UFC needs to fix their shit.

It was said that Ngannou was offered a new contract before the Gane fight but he declined to sign. Quite odd but maybe Dana still didn't offer what could be a fair amount to Francis and Francis also doesn't want to be tied to another contract which he also knows will prevent him from having another gig outside UFC.

Ngannou is certainly more famous now so with only one fight left, it should be done this year unless Dana will just prevent it from happening till the end of the year. Controversies exposed to media and hate can escalate all these.

^^ Social media followers are just some guys who probably don't even know what MMA is. Most of them have no idea about what is going on in the fight and they just follow the people who look more interesting.

You know, it's obvious that the fighter who can sell fights better and trash talk better will have more followers and I think anyone can understand that by seeing Conor McGregor's fan following .

And social media obviously is not a way to judge if a fighter is good or bad. And I am sure most of them have heard the name 'Krav Maga for the first time in ""Charlie's Angels"" movie, right ? media followers are exactly like that, they know nothing but after hearing a little gives an attitude like knows everything.

Doesn't really matter who made you famous, just the fact that you're famous in terms of boxing. In boxing, there's much less well known fighters earning more than the heavyweight champion of the UFC. Also, there's also Jake Paul, although that's probably not comparable because he's well known, and a big name in Youtube. Though, there's definitely lesser known boxers making more than Ngannou.

He would walk into a fight with Fury if he wanted, which would mean big bucks for him. Even if he only got 20 percent of the purse he would be better off.

By the way, why everybody think thank Ngannou would earn millions in boxing? Before ufc created him a star, he was nobody. Without ufc promotion, would the world know that there is a boxer in France that knock people out cold? Would someone offer him a million cheque for the fight? He would need first ti go through number of fights, before he gets a real opponent and get paid huge.

Right now, if wants all that millions and boxing, why shouldnt he give belt to Gane and leave? If there are underwater stones in his contract, wait till he is completele free and whoever he want.

I understand White position. Ufc invested in Ngannou promotion, and now he or his manager just come and ask for more $. Now they want to get maximum from that investment.

Well, I will not be saying such things if it isn't a fact and Dana White should research more and look at the situations of most fighters why they want higher pay, and why some fighters are just so happy to get a fight of the night extra money because think the amount is unreasonable, but lifetime damage can surely be sustained by fighters not only with boxing but here in the UFC aswell, we can not run from the facts and I think there will be a time that Dana could Realize what he is doing,

I don't know if that contract is true, but definitely, we should see what is inside that contract just to be sure, and I think a higher possibility that it was there in the contract is huge, UFC management can sure put something like that, and to secure that the fighter of UFC would just stay fighting for UFC, I think that is why retired fighters are a free fighter, and most UFC fighters would fight in different combat sports in their age that is not qualified anymore, and not in their prime.


Well, just like what I said his rules we can not do something about it, this is his UFC, a very popular one right now, that is why Francis Ngannou has wakened up and pursued other careers but that contract had bound him in not doing what he like, maybe Ngannou have spoken this thing to Dana White and White, doesn't like the sound and that kind of idea, that is why he is very angry with Francis Ngannou when it won the UFC 270.

Boxers do make alot more than these other entertainment associations due to the fact of them winning a "purse".
And this is not what Dana White has available to his fighters in the organization.
I believe he planned it this way from the very start when he became president back in 2001 and basically took it over from Art Davie and Rorion Gracie.
So he makes all the rules and if you don't like he tells them to **** off just like he had with Francis when he didn't put the belt on him after the fight nor attend the post fight press conference.

I think that UFC really needs to give their fighters a raise. As you have mentioned we can see that the Paul brothers who are in my opinion not that good of boxers and yet they are getting a huge amount of money from boxing.

Now, obviously, there are a lot of marketing stunts that goes into this way. while UFC cannot do these things or promote a fight in a way that the YouTubers do, but UFC have their own way to promote fights.

UFC fighters are showing pure skills and beating each other up but getting the amount of money which is so low compared to the YouTubers who think life is a joke and everything is fun.
I am not saying that they don't have skills but I certainly am saying that they don't have the skills that the UFC fighters have. And yet they are the ones making millions.

And watching Ngannou’s post fight press conference, I feel like it’s not just about the money or lack of it.  I think Ngannou is also trying to say that the UFC isn’t really doing everything to raise his stock.  Not like how they do Nate Diaz or Masvidal at least.  I mean yeah both those guys are way more popular than Ngannou but that’s also exactly why he isn’t that popular.  The UFC has to spend more money behind the marketing machine to get his name out there.

But maybe we just don’t know the whole story...