Francis Ngannou, a former Ultimate Fighting Championship heavyweight champion, has signed an uncommon multifight contract with a rival promotional firm, the Professional Fighters League, ending a extremely publicized free company interval that highlighted contentious themes of fighter pay and athlete affect within the evolving world of blended martial arts.
Ngannou and the PFL had been anticipated to announce Tuesday that that they had agreed to what they labeled a “strategic partnership,” a deal that provides Ngannou fairness and management roles within the blended martial arts firm whereas additionally letting him pursue exterior boxing fights. Ngannou intends to combat a blended martial arts bout within the PFL in mid-2024, after competing in a boxing ring someday this 12 months.
None of Ngannou’s fights have been set.
The phrases of the deal, together with funds and its length, weren’t disclosed by Ngannou or the PFL “Let’s simply say, all-in my cope with PFL is greater than anybody else supplied,” Ngannou mentioned.
As a part of the settlement, Ngannou will develop into chairman of PFL Africa, an growth initiative to supply occasions on the continent, and can serve on the corporate’s advisory board to symbolize fighter pursuits.
“The previous few months have been a really attention-grabbing time to grasp and see the panorama however I’m very enthusiastic about this cope with the PFL as a result of they principally confirmed what I used to be anticipating,” Ngannou mentioned in an interview. “They did not simply present up as a promotion that was searching for a fighter, however actually got here as a companion that sees extra worth in you as an individual..”
Ngannou will combat within the league’s nascent Super Fight division, which was created to draw fighters to signal offers with extra favorable phrases than are usually obtainable within the sport, together with greater ensures and larger cuts of pay-per-view income.
Jake Paul, the social media influencer turned boxer who signed an identical cope with the league in January, and Kayla Harrison, a two-time PFL champion and Olympic gold medalist in judo who’s the league’s hottest fighter, are additionally signed to the Super Fight division.
By getting into the PFL, Ngannou and Paul, two of the largest critics of how the UFC pays its athletes, are becoming a member of one among its greatest rivals.
Ngannou, 36, a local of Cameroon who moved to the United States after starting his blended martial arts profession in France, entered the UFC in 2015 and have become the heavyweight champion in 2021. But earlier than the final combat on his UFC contract in January 2022, Ngannou mentioned he was ready to go away the promotional firm if they might not attain an settlement on a brand new contract.
Among his desired phrases, he mentioned, was a rise in wage and the flexibility to field. Ngannou had teased a crossover bout with Tyson Fury, the World Boxing Council heavyweight champion, however athletes underneath contract with the UFC should combat completely inside the promotion.
Ngannou gained his ultimate UFC combat, defending his belt towards Cyril Gane, and the 2 sides continued negotiating with hopes of agreeing to a brand new deal and a bout with Jon Jones, who had moved as much as heavyweight after a three-year layoff and is among the biggest fighters in UFC historical past. But Ngannou and the UFC reached an deadlock, and in January, the corporate launched Ngannou and stripped him of his title.
“We get so far, and I’ve informed you guys this earlier than, should you do not wish to be right here, you do not have to be right here,” Dana White, the UFC president informed reporters in January. “I feel Francis is in a spot proper now the place he would not wish to take a number of dangers. He feels he is in a great place the place he can combat lesser opponents and make more cash, so we’ll let him try this.”
Recently valued at $12.1 billion and owned by the media and leisure company Endeavor, the UFC is taken into account the world’s strongest blended martial arts promotion with the deepest roster of athletes. But some critics, together with present and former fighters, have dogged the corporate for its pay and restrictive contracts.
Fighters earn lower than 20 p.c of whole income, which incorporates pay-per-view gross sales and different sources of money movement like ticket gross sales and sponsorships. In the NFL, the place athletes have unionized, for instance, gamers obtain roughly 50 p.c of league income.
Athletes usually are not unionized in fight sports activities, together with blended martial arts and boxing. In 2014 and 2021, a gaggle of fighters filed lawsuits towards the UFC, accusing it of operating an unlawful monopoly. The litigation is ongoing.
The Professional Fighters League debuted in 2018, and though it doesn’t but rival the UFC in stature, it has garnered a fan base by its tv cope with ESPN and its season-like format, which is unusual for fight sports activities.
Ngannou and the PFL began negotiating quickly after he grew to become a free agent, mentioned Peter Murray, the league’s chief govt. Ngannou mentioned he engaged in superior talks with just one different promotion, the Singapore-based ONE Championship, though executives for Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship and Bellator MMA mentioned that they had exploratory conversations with Ngannou.
“They did not have a lot to supply greater than a fighter and promotion contract, which was one thing that I wasn’t enthusiastic about,” Ngannou mentioned of ONE’s contract supply. “I used to be wanting into worth and an impression and what I can convey it and connect additionally to my legacy.”
He added: “I feel there was a number of media play, and lots of people simply knew that this sport wasn’t large enough for the sort of a deal, so they simply stepped out.”
Popular fighters, resembling Jones, Jorge Masvidal and Henry Cejudo, have threatened to retire to create leverage for incomes bigger payouts. Conor McGregor, the game’s greatest and highest-paid star, barbed with White in media interviews over whether or not he needs to be given fairness shares within the firm.
“This isn’t an athlete deal. Francis is an icon in the present day within the sport, he’s one of the best on the earth at what he does, however he’s in enterprise with the PFL,” Murray mentioned. “We’re in enterprise collectively.”
Murray mentioned the PFL’s growth to Africa is slated to begin in 2024, with the hope of staged occasions going down in 2025. The course of, to be led partly by Ngannou, consists of scouring the continent for fighters and for nations to host fights. Ngannou mentioned he noticed Cameroon, Nigeria, Senegal and South Africa as early targets. In the meantime, he mentioned he wish to have a boxing match this 12 months earlier than combating once more in blended martial arts.
The problem now for Murray and PFL executives is to efficiently construct the league’s pay-per-view division and discover opponents for Ngannou, Harrison and Paul that might be attracts for followers — to observe and to pay for.
Although the PFL is funded by its media rights offers, sponsorships and ticket gross sales, pay-per-view buys are one of many greatest monetary drivers in blended martial arts. Harrison headlined the PFL’s first and solely pay-per-view occasion final November. By comparability, the UFC staged 13 pay-per-view fights in 2022.
“Launching pay-per-view mixed with launching regional leagues — that’s what will drive scale and that is what the league is targeted on,” Murray mentioned.
The PFL needed to reshuffle components of its 2023 season on Friday after a gaggle of fighters had been suspended by the Nevada State Athletic Commission. The league and the fee didn’t formally disclose the explanation, however the PFL mentioned in a press release it had a “zero-tolerance coverage associated to the utilization of banned substances.”
During his free company, Ngannou grew to become a polarizing determine amongst followers and fighters, who mentioned he had made a mistake by declining the UFC’s affords to remain. On Twitter, He posted a picture of himself sitting atop a luxurious Mercedes-Benz sport utility car, with a caption mocking their claims that he “fumbled the bag.” Now with the PFL, he mentioned his determination was value it.
“When folks do not perceive you, what you are doing, clearly there’s a number of criticism, however if you’re assured and sure of what you are doing and the place you are going and conscious of accomplishment, you simply must be affected person and welcome the time all people sees it,” he mentioned.