Should Francis have just resigned with the UFC?
Whose side do you take on this issue? Should you do you do what is best for the sport or do you do what is best for yourself? IMHO it sounds like Ngannou chose to do BOTH. It must have been hard for him to come to the final decision that he was NOT going to be able to make a significant impact on the rights afforded to UFC fighters. Yes he asked for more pay, but he also asked for more pay for ALL fighters. He asked for health coverage and for sponsorship representation in the octagon like in the old days of the UFC. I do not think any of those requests were outrageous. In the end, he chose what was best for him and his family….maybe.
Who will regret this decision down the road?
It is difficult to say who got the better of this deal at the moment. Ngannou has had tremendous success as a heavyweight fighter in the UFC, becoming a top-ranked contender and earning multiple title shots. The UFC, on the other hand, has been able to promote and showcase Ngannou as one of their top stars. Both have helped raise each other's profile and have likely seen financial success as a result. For SURE the UFC helped propel Ngannou into the spotlight but it was his skill, heart and determination that made him a staple and fan favorite.
Will Francis CASH in & make a boatload of money?
It is difficult to say exactly how much money Francis Ngannou could make in professional boxing. Connor reportedly scored a $130,000,000 payday for his fight with Floyd Mayweather Jr. after accounting for his guarantee money and PPV points. So how much would Francis command for a fight against Tyson Fury? I would be willing to bet at least HALF that if not more ($40,000,000- $75,000,000) easily. After that who cares? He can go back to MMA, fight in Bellator get $2,000,000 - $4,000,000 per fight and feel good at the end of the day because that will still be so much more than what he would have made in the UFC. Ngannou doesn’t have the skill or training to compete with the upper echelon heavyweights in boxing, BUT he could command ONE MAJOR payday.
Should the UFC provide its fighters with medical coverage?
One demand Francis had requested was medical coverage for all fighters, completely understandable. At the moment UFC fighters and for that matter pretty much ALL MMA organizations do NOT offer health coverage. Since the UFC considers its athletes to be “independent contractors”, they only receive “formalized” health coverage.
“The UFC does not currently offer long-term health insurance to their athletes. Only in the instances where a fighter is injured during a fight, or in a training camp for a scheduled bout, does the promotion cover medical expenses for active talent on their roster. Outside of that, fighters must pay their own medical expenses.”- MMA Underground
We were all pissed when Tj Dillashaw fought with a compromised shoulder but nobody ever asked why he didn’t postpone the fight. According to TJ he went through with the fight so the UFC would cover the surgery. What kinda ass backwards thinking is that? He could have put his whole career on the line and for what, so he could get his surgery paid for? In the end the fighters careers are shortened and match ups we want to see go out the window. How many Tony Ferguson vs. Khabib Nurmagomedov match ups are we going to be missing in the future, how many Francis Ngannou’s are going to walk away from our sport before a change is made?
