The news of Francis Ngannou joining the PFL has made a lot of waves in the MMA community. There were some people, including Dana White, who didn’t see the value of his contractual terms. But the PFL founder Donn Davis has come out to speak about the real motive behind ‘The Predator’s move to his promotion.
Dana White mentioned that as far as he knew about Ngannou’s contract details, it made no sense to him. He was against the idea of splashing a lot of cash on a fighter who hadn’t competed for over 18 months. But Donn Davis claims that there is more to his deal than most people are aware of.
Donn Davis explains the reason behind Francis Ngannou joining the PFL
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The PFL founder has fired back at Dana White for his comments on Ngannou’s deal with the rival promotion. Donn Davis opened up about the details behind signing ‘The Predator’. He mentioned that there were a lot of options for the French-Cameroonian to make more money. But that was not what Ngannou was looking for. Davis said, “Francis was offered more money to go elsewhere… this deal was really about everything OTHER than money.”
“Francis was offered more money to go elsewhere… this deal was really about everything OTHER than money. Being chairman of PFL Africa, guarantee opponent pay, min. $1 million..the money we offered him was the same money the UFC were offering him.”
– PFL Founder Donn Davis pic.twitter.com/AudpDLX4j1
— Spinnin Backfist (@SpinninBackfist) May 23, 2023
“Being chairman of PFL Africa, guarantee opponent pay, min. $1 million..the money we offered him was the same money the UFC were offering him.”
‘The Predator’ will act as the chairman for PFL Africa
Francis Ngannou’s PFL deal has been dubbed the biggest MMA contract in the history of the sport. He will be fighting in the Superfight division. ‘The Predator’ has also secured a position in the promotion’s Global Athlete Advisory Board and is the Chairman of PFL’s expansion in Africa.
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The former UFC heavyweight champion had mentioned earlier that he wanted to give back to his people in the biggest way possible. His joining PFL will allow him to collaborate with the biggest fighters in the world today. Moreover, he is the only fighter who’s part of the Advisory Board.
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When Francis Ngannou starts fighting in mid-2024, he will certainly be a big draw. The higher-ups in the promotion have shown their respect for Ngannou’s vision to compete for African communities and grow the sport. We will have to wait and see how things pan out in the future.
WATCH THIS STORY: After Becoming PFL Africa Chairman, Let’s Take A Look At Francis Ngannou Foundation For Cameroon