While some may have criticized Francis Ngannou for turning down a three-fight, $8 million deal from the UFC last year, few can argue with the 37-year-old star’s decision to bet on himself now.
Ngannou and former heavyweight boxing champion Anthony Joshua agreed to a boxing match in March back in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, and the estimated purses for both men further confirm that Ngannou has positioned himself to be an even wealthier man moving forward.
According to Sports Business Journal, Ngannou’s agent confirmed his client will make another eight-figure payday for his fight with Joshua. Multiple sources say this will be Ngannou’s second straight boxing match, making $10 million or more for one fight.
Ngannou made a reported $10 million for his fight with Tyson Fury in October 2023, which the latter confirmed during one of the press conferences leading up to the bout.
His drawing power has only increased based on Ngannou’s showing vs. Fury, a fight that saw him floor the lineal champion before losing a controversial unanimous decision. There’s every reason to believe his payday, before pay-per-view sales and sponsorships kick in, could be approaching $20 million.
The sticking point for Ngannou with the proposed UFC deal was the ability to compete in boxing and mixed martial arts.
Had Ngannou not signed with the Professional Fighters League and been granted the freedom to pursue his goals as a boxer (something the UFC wouldn’t allow him to do under contract), he wouldn’t be in position to cash in on the Fury or Joshua paydays.
Ngannou isn’t the only one set up for a massive payday. Joshua should make even more than Ngannou.
Joshua is coming off an impressive knockout win over Otto Wallin in Riyadh in December 2023. The victory was supposed to position him for a fight with Deontay Wilder in March.
Wilder lost to Joseph Parker via unanimous decision on the same card, which tanked the proposed fight. Joshua’s promoter, Eddie Hearn of Matchroom named Ngannou as a potentially “colossal” next opponent for Joshua during an interview with IFL TV.
Shortly after the interview, the news of Joshua-Ngannou was confirmed.
Fury is said to have made $50 million for his fight with Ngannou, according to friend and confidante Dereck Chisora. Joshua is likely to have asked and received a payday at least in the neighborhood of what Fury was paid for fighting Ngannou.
Based on the success and interest in Ngannou-Fury–especially in the aftermath of the former’s performance–there could be an even larger audience for Ngannou-Joshua.
It will also be taking place less than a month after Fury takes on Oleksandr Usyk for the undisputed title. The heavyweights are going to rule the sport for the first quarter of the year, and Riyadh is the centerpiece for the division’s resurgence.
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