Francis Ngannou reportedly earned more from Tyson Fury fight than he did in entire UFC stint

Francis Ngannou and Tyson Fury took part in a heavyweight boxing battle for the ages on October 28. The pair took each other to the brink, with the Cameroonian knockout artist even scoring a knockdown enroute to a split-decision that, unfortunately, went in his opponent's favor.

Despite not getting the outcome he had hoped for, 'The Predator' was handsomely paid for his efforts against Fury. And according to a tweet from renowned boxing reporter Michael Benson, Francis Ngannou recently revealed, on the Last Stand Podcast, that he earned more against Tyson Fury than in his entire MMA career.

Ngannou's statement adds more fuel to the fire of the ongoing discussion regarding UFC fighter pay, which UFC CEO Dana White has been adamantly against increasing. Furthermore, it brings up the nature of the promotion's contracts, which are widely criticized for being predatory and lopsided.

One of the reasons Ngannou willingly walked away from UFC heavyweight championship status in pursuit of greener pastures in a lesser promotion like the PFL was the latter's willingness to negotiate what the Cameroonian felt was a fairer contract. Unfortunately, he is not the first person to butt heads with the UFC.

Contract disputes are common between the UFC and its top athletes, but Ngannou is one of the first fighters to turn down a historically lucrative offer from the promotion in favor of another and succeed in securing what he ultimately wanted elsewhere.

Whether Ngannou now sticks around to pursue more boxing bouts remains to be seen, but the sky is now the limit for the former UFC heavyweight champion.

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What did Dana White say about co-promoting with the PFL for Jon Jones vs. Francis Ngannou?

While Dana White tried to book the Jon Jones vs. Francis Ngannou matchup when both men were still under contract with the UFC, he doesn't seem too keen on the matchup now that Ngannou has left the promotion. While Jones still fights for the UFC, Ngannou is now a PFL athlete, and White has, historically, been averse to co-promoting with other MMA organizations.

At the UFC 295 post-fight press conference, when asked about the possibility of co-promoting a Jon Jones vs. Francis Ngannou bout with the PFL, Dana White flatly turned down the suggestion and referred to the idea as stupid. Unfortunately, it seems as though fans will never see the two fight.