Francis Ngannou has today announced that he’s signed an exclusive multi-fight MMA deal with the PFL promotion.
Ngannou’s deal is believed to be for 2-3 MMA fights on pay-per-view in what will be classed as a ‘Superfight’ division, while also still giving him the option to pursue boxing matches outside of the PFL.
And the word is that Ngannou is in fact still planning to take a boxing match first later this year before returning to MMA, so he’s not expected to step into the PFL cage until the summer of 2024.
The deal appears to be a very lucrative one for the 36-year-old former UFC heavyweight champion as he’ll be paid a “high” seven-figure sum for each fight, while he’ll also receive a split of the net profits for events he features in and will also be able to sign-up his own sponsors.
Meanwhile, he’ll also take a role as a brand ambassador for PFL and will receive a signing bonus or salary for his troubles, will become the chairman for PFL Africa and he’s negotiated to ensure that his opponents will receive a certain minimum salary (potentially set as high as $2 million).
“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,” Ngannou said in a statement. “I believe in the PFL’s ‘fighter first’ culture and global vision, including developing the sport in Africa. With that, I am also proud to announce that I will serve as Chairman of PFL Africa, which will be the leading MMA organization on the continent providing great African fighters the opportunity to compete on a global platform.”
And PFL also hailed their new “strategic partnership” with the star.
“The PFL is excited to announce its groundbreaking strategic partnership with Francis Ngannou, the greatest heavyweight MMA fighter in the world,” PFL CEO Peter Murray said in a statement. “Ngannou will anchor the PFL’s star-studded PPV Super Fight Division, serve on PFL’s Global Athlete Advisory Board, and will be Chairman and an equity owner in PFL Africa. Beyond working with Francis to advance the sport of MMA and scale PFL globally, I’m personally looking forward to supporting Francis in his commitment to fight for communities in Africa and around the world, inspired by his vision for the Francis Ngannou Foundation.”
