Ngannou made his signing official on Tuesday, months after giving up the UFC heavyweight title and departing for free agency.
After much speculation, the PFL confirmed the agreement, which would see Ngannou compete solely in the brand-new PPV super fight category alongside Jake Paul, a social media sensation who turned pro, and Kayla Harrison, a former women’s lightweight champion.
The concept is that the boxers will receive a 50% cut of the money from the PPV events.
According to the press release, Ngannou is scheduled to make his promotional debut in the middle of 2024.
He will also serve as a fighter representative on the PFL Global Advisory Board. Ngannou will also serve as the incoming PFL Africa’s chairman and equity owner.
Ngannou expressed his excitement in a statement, saying, “I am very excited for this game-changing partnership with the Professional Fighters League to continue my MMA fighting career in the PFL’s PPV Super Fight Division.”
I support the PFL’s ‘fighter first’ philosophy and global development of the game in Africa. In addition, I’m excited to share that I’ll be the Chairman of PFL Africa, the top MMA organization in Africa, which will provide talented African fighters a chance to participate on a global stage.
Ngannou used his brand recognition to secure a PFL contract that will also help his rivals. According to Ngannou, his subsequent opponent will earn a $2 million guaranteed base salary.
Unlike the UFC, where he was unable to do so, Ngannou will be allowed to manage his own sponsorship agreements without the help of the organization.
“I have a good assurance for myself… Therefore, don’t be concerned about me dropping the bag, Ngannou remarked in a video posted to his YouTube page. “Most crucially, I even managed to secure a $2 million guarantee for my opponent. Whoever I face next will also be successful financially.
Ngannou also discussed his position on the Global Advisory Board of PFL.
“I am the first active fighter to be seated on this board to take this matter very seriously,” Ngannou declared. “It will primarily be a board that will represent fighters in order to advance both the sport and the combatants.
For the fighters, not the promotion. Because there are always two parties at the table, we frequently overlook the other party—the fighters—who may even be the most crucial.
Ngnanou’s contract with PFL limits him to MMA, and he is free to pursue chances in boxing, which was another obstacle he encountered while on the UFC roster.
Prior to taking on Deontay Wilder in 2024, Ngannou stated to DAZN that he would prefer a tune-up bout in 2023. Ngannou said that he has spoken with The Money Team, Wilder’s management company.
Even with Deontay Wilder, both of our teams had been negotiating, but we were unable to reach an agreement due to his probable bout with AJ in December.
After that, we are committed to fighting,” Ngannou stated. We have been considering Tyson Fury, Anthony Joshua, and Deontay Wilder as potential opponents. We have only been able to communicate with Deontay Wilder thus far.
After failing to come to an agreement on a new contract, Ngannou and UFC announced their separation to the public on January 14. Ngannou became an unrestricted free agent after UFC dropped its one-year matching rights clause.
Ngannou went into more depth about some of the demands that UFC is said to have rejected during discussions after his left.
All fighters should have access to health insurance, be able to choose their own sponsors, and have a fighter representative present throughout all contract discussions, according to Ngannou.
According to Ngannou, “the past few months have been a very interesting time to understand and see the landscape, but I’m very excited about this deal with PFL because they basically showed what I was expecting,” in an interview with The New York Times.
“They came as a partner who sees more value in you as a person, not just as a promotion looking for a fighter,” the interviewer said.
Since BJ Penn left the UFC in 2004, Ngannou is the only active UFC champion to depart the organization.
Numerous boxing promoters as well as Bellator, ONE Championship, and other organizations expressed interest in the free agency. CEO of ONE Championship Chatri Sityodtong asserted that he never presented Ngannou with his final offer because they were not “fully aligned on non-financial matters.”
Ngannou told The Times, “They didn’t have much to give more than a fighter and promotion deal, which was something I wasn’t interested in.
“I was considering what I might provide in terms of value and influence, as well as what I could tie to my legacy. Since there was a lot of media attention, I believe that many individuals simply decided that this game wasn’t significant enough to warrant such a deal and left.
Following Ngannou’s departure, UFC scheduled a heavyweight championship match between former light heavyweight champion Jon Jones and top challenger Ciryl Gane. At UFC 285 on March 4, Jones claimed the heavyweight championship by submission in the opening round.
Results of Bellator 296 and highlights: Gegard Mousasi is defeated by Fabian Edwards to win the title.
