Francis Ngannou negotiated a singular deal when he joined PFL after his championship stint within the UFC, and Renan Ferreira will profit enormously from it.
Ngannou’s contract with the promotion consists of fairness within the firm, a task on the PFL board of administrators and as chairman of PFL Africa, plus the liberty to field. He additionally not solely negotiated a seven-figure deal for himself, but in addition made positive to request a assured $2 million purse for every of his PFL opponents.
Ferreira and Ngannou will battle in the principle occasion of PFL Tremendous Fights on Oct. 19, and “Problema” stated Ngannou has earned his respect for offering him a life-changing payday.
“My respect for him has solely grown due to him searching for higher alternatives for not solely him as an athlete,” Ferreira stated. “Not just for gaining area within the boxing scene as properly, which we all know is tough for MMA fighters to do this — though he didn’t have a superb efficiency in his final combat [vs. Anthony Joshua] — however it was monumental of him to say that his opponent ought to be valued as properly. It was very good of him.”
Ferreira pocketed $1 million for successful the 2023 heavyweight season in PFL, except for his 4 purses all year long, and can obtain $2 million when he faces Ngannou in October. Ferreira’s purse for his nasty knockout win over Ryan Bader this previous February was not disclosed.
“I really feel honored with all that, and it solely motivates me to get higher and proceed to indicate who am I as an athlete and be among the many greatest, and be the perfect,” Ferreira stated. “I’m pleased to be there and to be preventing him. This turning level in my profession is the end result of an extended street of laborious work and dedication. I’m happy with the historical past I’ve created with honesty, by no means stomping on others. It makes me actually pleased.”
Ngannou left UFC with consecutive wins over Ciryl Gane, Stipe Miocic, Jairzinho Rozenstruik, Junior dos Santos, Cain Velasquez, and Curtis Blaydes, and “Problema” is aware of it received’t be a straightforward evening within the cage, though the Cameroonian heavyweight hasn’t competed in MMA since January 2022.
“Francis is an aggressive man and a knockout artist like myself, however I’m working in all areas,” Ferreira stated. “I’ve good takedowns, I’ve good jiu-jitsu, so if the chance presents itself, I’ll undoubtedly assault and take him down and use my heavy floor and pound, one thing I’ve all the time performed. I’m engaged on that as properly. My placing will certainly be sharper than ever. He hasn’t fought [MMA] shortly and that would make him much less lively in some areas, so I’ll discover all that.”
“To me, what issues essentially the most is the win, however a pleasant win, a spectacular victory, like I’ve performed many instances earlier than, it’s undoubtedly gratifying,” he continued. “It reveals that the work we’ve been going is well-made. However we have now to be cautious on this combat. We’ve got a tricky and skilled man on the opposite facet, a person that has fought many nice fighters. Successful is what issues, irrespective of how. Francis is a assured man, an enormous and imposing man, and I do know it’s going to be a battle. It’s going to be a really powerful combat, and that motivates me to work laborious daily.”
