Insane fighter pay report reveals the UFC could have paid Francis Ngannou more than 7x than PFL deal

The MMA world is divided on Francis Ngannou's contract with the PFL (Professional Fighters League). Some fans have praised Ngannou for having the courage to negotiate a lucrative contract, while others, such as UFC president Dana White, have expressed perplexity over the details of the agreement.

According to a report by Bloody Elbow, on May 12th, financial statements for the UFC's parent company, Endeavour Group Holdings, Inc, were submitted to the SEC. The WWE did the same thing in anticipation of their December merger with the UFC into a new company called TKO Group Holdings. The UFC constitutes the bulk of the owned sports properties section in Endeavor's regular SEC filings.

These filings do not include many specifics about the UFC's financial situation. In contrast, the consolidated financial statements included in these latest filings shed light on the UFC's financial situation over the past three years. Their 8-K states that the UFC made $1.140 billion in revenue last year, which was an all-time high for the organization.

Journalist and author Chad Dundas added more insight to the topic, explaining how the UFC could have paid the Cameroonian seven times more than the PFL deal by using the failed Jon Jones vs. Francis Ngannou bout as a case in point.

Dundas also revealed, astonishingly, that despite widespread outcry for fighters to be compensated fairly, UFC fighter compensation actually decreased in 2022. He wrote on Twitter:

"New UFC financial news dump says fighter pay DECREASED approx. $32.8 million in 2022. So, if the the UFC REALLY wanted to make Jones-Ngannou, it could've paid them each $15 million & STILL saved money over 2021. But somehow the fighters were to blame for asking for too much."

Check out the tweet below:

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Francis Ngannou contract: Brendan Schaub claims the new deal could turn out to be a "disaster" for PFL

Francis Ngannou signed a historic contract with the PFL last week. The agreement allows him to explore boxing bouts, and will also make him the head of PFL Africa, among other perks. Simply put, Ngannou's contract is unlike any the sport has ever seen.

Despite widespread joy with Ngannou's success, some have questioned whether or not the PFL made a wise move by agreeing to the deal. In response to Dana White's reservations about the arrangement, Schaub said during an edition of The Schaub Show:

“From a business standpoint, this deal is great for Francis Ngannou, it’s great for him… For the PFL, it is a disaster. I don’t want this to come out and the headlines will be Schaub hates on Francis. I love Francis… I adore Francis and his agent Marquel, absolutely f**king love those guys. What they did is amazing, it’s history in the making. The point is, PFL does not have the infrastructure to carry this through for this to be a success in any facet.”

Catch Brendan Schaub's comments on Francis Ngannou's contract below (32:00):