Lineal UFC heavyweight champion of the world, Francis Ngannou recently opened up about the staggering amount of money he turned down from the UFC in order to gain his free agency.
Speaking in an interview on Usman and Cejudo’s podcast, Ngannou claimed that for his last fight in the UFC, he was offered $5 million by the promotion. However, he instead opted to take just $600,000 for that bout, knowingly declining the much larger $5 million offer.
“I took $600,000 for my last fight in the UFC, as opposed to 5 million that they were offering. And for the same fight, right?” Ngannou stated.
The 36-year-old Cameroonian fighter expressed disbelief at leaving so much money on the table, saying “I’m like, bro.” He revealed that at the time, he was in a difficult financial situation, even owing fellow fighter Kamaru Usman $200,000.
“I was broke. Let’s not talk about that,” Ngannou said, not wanting to dwell on his past money troubles.
By taking the smaller payday, Ngannou was able to complete his contractual obligations to the UFC and become an unrestricted free agent. This bold move allowed him to explore free agency and potentially secure a much more lucrative long-term deal, whether with the UFC or another promotion.
Ngannou’s revelation sheds light on the immense sums of money top UFC fighters can make per fight, but also the sacrifices they may need to make in order to gain better career flexibility and earning potential down the road.