UFC President Dana White has shared his thoughts on Francis Ngannou signing a deal with PFL (Professional Fighters League).
Ngannou, the UFC’s now former heavyweight champion, signed a deal with PFL earlier this week.
Apparently the 36-year-old Ngannou will have ‘equity and leadership’ roles within the company. Those roles include a seat on the promotion’s athlete advisory board as well as the role of chairman of PFL Africa. It will also allow ‘The Predator’ to seek out his own boxing matches.
Dana White was asked to share his thoughts on Francis Ngannou’s new PFL contract during tonight’s UFC Vegas 73 post-fight press conference and had the following to say on the subject.
“Based on what I know about the deal, which is not much, it makes no sense to me. You’re going to pay a guy not to fight for a year and it’s already been like 18 months, he’s fought three times in the last 3 years. The day that we released him, I knew exactly what was going to happen. Francis wants to take zero risks. Doesn’t want to take any chances and he obviously didn’t want to take a chance against Jon Jones and after we saw what happened with Ciryl Gane, I don’t blame him. I think the outcome would have been exactly the same and I’m sure most of you do and I think Francis does too. And the media makes it sound like I’m saying that he’s afraid of him. I don’t think that he’s afraid of anybody, it’s just that he doesn’t want to take any risk.”
Dana White continued to discuss Francis Ngannou’s new PFL deal (h/t Aaron Bronsteter of TSN):
“PFL’s going to pay this guy to train for a boxing match that may not even happen and that they might not even be involved in. How does that make any sense? Anthony Joshua called it a gimmick fight this week… Francis could have done a deal here. Hunter threw the kitchen sink at that guy… Francis just thinks that he’s in a position where he’s got some Conor McGregor/Mayweather fight on his hands, which he does not… MMA guys versus boxers doesn’t make any sense to me, but I know that he thinks there’s all this money in it, I disagree… I’ve got no beef with the PFL. These guys have always been super professional and never talked any smack. You know me, if I don’t like you… I don’t hold back, I’ll let you have it… I’m hearing that they’re raising money right now, $280 million, $300 million from the Middle East… I don’t know who in the hell would give them $280 million, I’m hearing they’re buying Bellator! So, you’re an organization that’s burning cash, you have no ratings and selling no tickets and you’re going to raise $280 million to buy a company that’s burning cash, sells no tickets and does no ratings. It sounds f**ing absolutely genius to me!”
What do you think of UFC President Dana White’s comments regarding Francis Ngannou’s new deal with the PFL?
