Francis Ngannou, outplaying the high-stakes scene better than a crafty card shark, scoffed at a $8 million triple-fight offer from UFC last year. Zoom to the present, and here’s the 37-year-old cackling to the bank, having staked his fortunes with the cunning of a Wall Street tycoon.
Ngannou, teaming up with ex-heavyweight boxing titan Anthony Joshua, inked a deal for a scuffle this March in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. The noise about their earnings is deafening, like a buzzing horde, signaling that Ngannou’s wager hit the jackpot. According to Sports Business Journal, Ngannou’s rep let slip about a looming eight-figure bonanza awaiting his tussle with Joshua. We’re not tossing around pocket change here; think upwards of $10 million just for lacing up gloves.
Cast your mind back to Ngannou’s clash with Tyson Fury last October – the one padding his wallet with a nifty $10 million. Fury himself let this juicy tidbit slip during a media frenzy. Ngannou’s allure isn’t just climbing; it’s rocketing, especially post his knockdown of Fury, despite a defeat in a contentious unanimous verdict. Before tallying pay-per-view receipts and endorsements, Ngannou’s earnings might balloon to near $20 million.
The kicker in Ngannou’s UFC contract was the green light for boxing and MMA mashups – a freedom UFC had him chained down from. By leaping to the Professional Fighters League, Ngannou grabbed his golden pass to pursue boxing dreams, propelling him towards the Fury and Joshua windfalls.
Joshua’s recent toppling of Otto Wallin in Riyadh was a stepping stone for a bout with Deontay Wilder in March. But Wilder’s stumble against Joseph Parker upended those plans. Eddie Hearn, Joshua’s promoter, swiftly pivoted to Ngannou for Joshua’s next marquee fight, and voilà, the Joshua-Ngannou brawl was quickly on the books.
Rumor has it Fury raked in a jaw-dropping $50 million from his dance with Ngannou. Joshua, not to be outshone, likely snagged a comparable payday. With the frenzy Ngannou’s fury with Fury whipped up, their upcoming battle might just reel in an even larger audience.
With Fury prepping to butt heads with Oleksandr Usyk for the undisputed title shortly before, the heavyweight division is primed to steal the limelight early this year.
