“In that contract, I’m not an independent contractor. In that contract, I have no rights, I have no power. I hand over all the power to you guys, and I’ve seen in the past how you can utilize that power.” Francis Ngannou stated bluntly before walking away from the UFC in 2023 leaving behind the heavyweight title and what most fighters would consider a dream contract. But just how big was that contract?

According to former double champ Daniel Cormier, the UFC was willing to throw seven million dollars per fight at ‘The Predator’ to make him stay. Yes, seven million! And yet, he turned it down without a second thought. Why? Because, in his own words, it was never just about the money. Cormier casually dropped this bombshell during a chat with Ben Askren on his YouTube channel, revealing, “I heard them offered him seven million per fight.” Askren, clearly taken aback, had to double-check, “On the new contract?”

Cormier confirmed, “Before he left. That was the offer to try to keep him.” Let that sink in for a second. Seven million. Per fight. That’s more than most champions make in an entire year. Yet the Cameroonian wasn’t interested. Why? Because he wasn’t fighting for bigger paychecks, he was fighting for something money couldn’t buy freedom. In a world where UFC contracts are notorious for being, let’s say, ironclad, Ngannou wanted to call his own shots. He wanted to box, wanted better negotiating power. He wanted to control his destiny.

However, this isn’t the first time the UFC had found themselves at bay against a heavyweight legend. Back in 2007, UFC Hall of Famer Randy Couture went toe-to-toe with some of the top lawyers representing MMA’s biggest promotion, battling for 13 months to secure free agency. The legal war played out on multiple fronts, with then-UFC owner Zuffa suing the former two-division champ in Nevada, while billionaire Mark Cuban countered by suing Zuffa in Texas.

For the unversed, ‘Captain America’ made headlines with his high-profile resignation from the UFC, citing ongoing disputes with management and his desire to arrange a dream fight with heavyweight and PRIDE FC legend Fedor Emelianenko. However, the UFC pushed back, claiming that ‘The Natural’ had breached his contract and still owed the promotion two fights.

After both sides scored legal victories in court, Couture and his longtime employer faced the prospect of an expensive, drawn-out battle. Ultimately, he saw the writing on the wall and made the difficult decision to settle.

“I settled because I was 45 years old,” Couture explained. “They were going to drag it out as long as they could and basically try to bankrupt me. I’d already spent $500,000 of my own money to pursue getting away and being able to make the biggest fight of that time happen.”

Though Couture didn’t get the Fedor fight, his battle with the UFC was one of the earliest examples of a fighter challenging the industry leader for greater autonomy. Fast forward 16 years later, another heavyweight juggernaut dared to dream and walked away from the biggest payday of his life under the UFC banner.

Of course, Dana White didn’t take it well. The UFC head honcho promptly stripped Ngannou of his belt on January 14, 2023, effectively erasing him from the UFC heavyweight picture. Furthermore, he signed with PFL, debuting in October 2024 with a dominant knockout over Renan Ferreira. But let’s be real, that was just a pit stop. His real focus? Boxing.

Is Francis Ngannou using his freedom to cherrypick fights?

Since leaving the UFC, Ngannou has tested himself against some of the biggest names in boxing. And his journey has been a rollercoaster. He shocked the world by nearly beating Tyson Fury in October 2023, dropping the heavyweight king before losing by split decision. Then came the Anthony Joshua fight, where Ngannou got a brutal wake-up call in the form of a knockout loss. Now, he’s eyeing Deontay Wilder.

Brave? Reckless? A little bit of both? You decide. Cormier, for one, isn’t convinced Ngannou should be in the ring with elite-level boxers. “There were people picking Francis to beat Joshua,” DC said. “I love Francis, but not to insult him, Anthony Joshua felt so little threat that he, who is traditionally one of the most passive boxers in the world, went after Francis. He didn’t feel the threat because of the lack of experience that Francis had in boxing.”

And even PFL owner Donn Davis chimed in, hinting that while an MMA fight in PFL is inevitable, Ngannou is more likely to take another boxing bout first. “If I had to guess, I would think boxing would be first given the opportunities he has,” Davis told MMA Fighting. Look, here’s the thing, Ngannou could have taken the UFC deal. He could have been making $7 million per fight, defending his heavyweight title, and enjoying the kind of financial security most fighters dream of.

Instead, he chose uncertainty. He chose high-risk fights. He chose to carve his own path, knowing full well that success wasn’t guaranteed. Was it the right move? That’s the million-dollar (or should we say seven-million-dollar) question. So, what do you think? Did Ngannou make the right call by betting on himself? Or did he walk away from the best deal he was ever going to get? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below!