Francis Ngannou is still very much present inside the Ultimate Fighting Championship Octagon, according to Israel “The Last Stylebender” Adesanya. The UFC lost a treasure in Francis “The Predator” Ngannou in January after nearly about two years of absolutely fruitless discussions.
The former heavyweight champion said last month that he had signed an innovative contract with the Professional Fighters League, earning himself a large sum of money and the position of chairman for the PFL’s development in Africa.
Israel Adesanya throws a brutal jab at UFC
Dana White was quite critical of Ngannou and the PFL after the announcement. “Based on what I know about the deal, which is not much, it makes no sense to me,” White remarked at a press conference after the battle. “You’re going to pay a guy not to fight for a year, and it’s already been like [fourteen] months. He’s fought three times in the last three years.”
Francis Ngannou was courted by the promotion for months without success, and White has often vowed that he will never again enter the Octagon. “We negotiated with him for years,” When asked if a Ngannou comeback was likely, White responded. “It’s over, that’s over. He’ll never be in the UFC again. … I never say never, but I’ll give you a never on that one. We tried.”
One Africa! Francis Ngannou’s reaction to Israel Adesanya’s victory. #IzzyVsAlex2 pic.twitter.com/hLd9rzdLHc
— 🐬 @𝗼𝗻𝗲𝗷𝗼𝗯𝗹𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗯𝗼𝘆 (@OneJoblessBoy) April 9, 2023
Francis Ngannou will eventually return to the Octagon, according to Adesanya, who claimed during an altruistic appearance on The MMA Hour that the controversy surrounding Ngannou and the UFC is far from over. “I’m proud of him because his story is very unique, even before he was in the UFC,” According to Adesanya about Ngannou.
“The story’s not over yet, everybody needs to chill and just watch…everyone wants to be first…this isn’t a guy that just quits. Dana’s said some stuff in the past [about women never fighting in the UFC]…look where we are now! I think he’ll do what he does and come back, and then they’ll pay him what he deserves, what he’s earned, because they f***ed him for a long time.”
Francis Ngannou and his ground-breaking PFL deal
Francis Ngannou made history by becoming the first reigning UFC champion since Jay Dee “The Prodigy” Penn III in 2004 to formally exit the organization for a reason other than retirement. Such a recognizable name seldom moves into MMA free agency, so it was only logical that there would be a flurry of rumors regarding where “The Predator” would end up next.
According to a story by The New York Times, Ngannou is joining the PFL as both the star of its “Pay-Per-View Super Fight” division and a strategic partner with a standing cachet. While there is still much to be determined, the Ngannou PFL deal has the potential to be a significant financial move that will significantly alter the global mixed martial arts power structure, including in his native Africa.
“I am very excited for this game-changing partnership with the Professional Fighters League to continue my MMA fighting career in the PFL’s PPV Super Fight Division,” In a formal statement, Ngannou stated.
“I believe in the PFL’s ‘fighter first’ culture and global vision including developing the sport in Africa. With that, I am also proud to announce that I will serve as Chairman of PFL Africa which will be the leading MMA organization on the continent providing great African fighters the opportunity to compete on a global platform,” he added.
The PFL has been making a lot of big moves lately. Their deal with Francis could have a significant impact on combat sports as a whole, perhaps enticing more fighters to seek better deals.
