Dana White kept dismissing Francis Ngannou’s reported $30 million earnings from his boxing bouts. Amid that heat, the former UFC heavyweight champion witnesses a dip in his next payment, as he gets ready to fight Renan Ferreira under the banner of PFL. On the other hand, Michael Chandler has lashed out at an MMA journalist for talking badly about his children. If you’re still wondering what the fuss is all about, then my friend, you might have missed out on the juicy topics that are ensuing in the MMA verse. But worry no more, because EssentiallySports has come up with yet another episode of MMA News Roundup to keep you up to date with the hot gossip.

First up, we’ll find out how much Francis Ngannou will make at PFL Super Fights: Battle of the Giants. Next, we’ll see Michael Chandler lashing out at a journalist. And finally, we’ll hear Alex Pereira’s plan for Magomed Ankalaev. So, without any further ado, let’s dive right in!

Francis Ngannou records a $10M dip in earnings for Battle of the Giants fight

According to the reports by Forbes, Francis Ngannou received about $10 million for fighting Tyson Fury in 2023, and $20 million to take on Anthony Joshua, back in March 2024. Even though the former UFC champion didn’t clinch a victory inside the squared ring, he bagged a sum that many UFC fighters can only dream about. And now, the Cameroonian mixed martial artist has promised to showcase an unforgettable performance against Renan Ferreira at PFL Super Fights: Battle of the Giants.

But coming to the Professional Fighting League, Ngannou will receive about $12 million for fighting Ferreira. Needless to say, it’s a pretty hefty amount for a martial artist, and being featured in Riyadh seems to be a decisive factor for the humongous paycheck. But it’s nowhere near the amount he received for fighting Joshua.

Ngannou’s boxing paycheck was recently put into doubt by Dana White. But to prove his salary, ‘The Predator’ even agreed to bring out the receipts. Amassing $30 million just from 2 defeats in the squared ring was a feat that only someone of Ngannou’s stature could accomplish, don’t you think? 

Now, let’s move on to the next story. Here, we’ll take a look at the controversy surrounding Michael Chandler and his children.

Michael Chandler attacks MMA Guru for mocking his children

The MMA Guru has been garnering some heat for his controversial comments on the internet. While he has made a name for himself with his unique commentary, he made a grave error when he mocked Chandler and his kids. In a video, the YouTuber mimicked Chandler’s children in a stereotypical pattern of people of color. No doubt, the negative light shone through and enraged ‘Iron’.

Taking to X, Chandler shared the footage and wrote, “Just shedding some light on this individual we unfortunately have to call one of our fellow members of the human race. Do your hateful thing man, but leave our kids alone. @THATBOYMMAGURU.”

But the online scuffle wasn’t over. Soon after the former Bellator lightweight champ attacked the British YouTuber, he took to X and responded with, “Oh no Chandler! am I hard to consider a member of the human race because I made a joke? Should I have just beat a woman into a pulp in a hotel room in front of children instead? would that make you want a picture? TF is wrong with these t**ds I make jokes get over it.”

Needless to say, The MMA Guru welcomed nothing but trouble with his comments. But now, it’s time for the final story.

Alex Pereira plans to make things harder for Magomed Ankalaev

Long before Alex Pereira showcased a phenomenal performance against Khalil Rountree Jr. at UFC 307, the fight fans had been asking him to take on a fight against Magomed Ankalaev. No one was content with #8 ranked Rountree getting a title shot before #2 ranked Ankalaev. But Pereira didn’t really have anything in control. He claimed, “I don’t have nobody in my mind. The organization came with Khalil [Rountree] last time, and it was a surprise for me too. I don’t really choose opponents. Some people say [Magomed] Ankalaev, but I’m going to be honest with you, him and his manager have been talking a lot of c**p saying that [I] don’t want to fight, this and that.”

‘Poatan’ seemed to believe that Ankalaev’s fights were nothing but boring. This could lead to a situation where PPV sales could go down drastically because the fighting community doesn’t want to watch his fights. That was the reason why the MMA promotion didn’t let Pereira fight Ankalaev. But when Ankalaev’s team continued to diss the LHW champion, he wasn’t going to accept it all. He continued, “The organization don’t want to make the fight, but now, because they keep saying that, keep disrespecting, maybe I’ll make it a little bit even harder for them to fight me.”

And that brings us to the end of today’s MMA News Roundup. What are your thoughts on Ngannou’s paycheck for his PFL debut? Do you think Chandler overreacted to The MMA Guru’s jokes? Will Pereira ever fight Ankalaev? Let us know what you think in the comments down below.