Francis Ngannou and Joe Rogan
Joe Rogan Expresses Disappointment Over Francis Ngannou’s $8 Million PFL Deal
Joe Rogan, renowned UFC commentator and podcaster, has shared his disappointment regarding Francis Ngannou’s decision to leave the UFC and join the Professional Fighters League (PFL). Ngannou, the former UFC heavyweight champion, parted ways with the promotion after failing to reach an agreement on a new contract.
Joe Rogan isn’t happy with Francis Ngannou leaving UFC and joining PFL for future endeavors. One of the biggest moves in recent times was when former UFC heavyweight champion, Francis Ngannou failed to come to terms with UFC and left the promotion.
Ngannou’s decision to leave the UFC and join the PFL has not pleased Joe Rogan. This was one of the largest transfers in recent memory. The Cameroonian-French revealed the big news of joining the Professional Fighters League as an MMA fighter. While Ngannou has mentioned that he’s very happy with the offer, Joe Rogan thinks otherwise.
In one of his recent podcasts on Spotify, Rogan explained that he isn’t positive about Ngannou’s PFL move. Rogan cleared the fact that he understands the money and freedom involved in the new contract for Ngannou but he’s too good for that promotion.
He said: “It’s a big loss in my mind, like him going over to the PFL. It bums me out. I understand it. I’m happy he’s going to get paid, I’m happy he’s going to get to box, but I loved watching this guy fight in the UFC. He was a f****** monster. He was so good, and he is so good. It’s going to be interesting. I just don’t know who they’re going to have him fight.”
Rogan claims that Ngannou is a monster and that the PFL lacks the kind of opponent necessary to face the “Predator.” Nevertheless, it’s going to be interesting to see what will happen next.
Joe Rogan’s disappointment reflects the sentiment of many fans who enjoyed watching Ngannou’s dominance in the UFC. While the PFL offers a lucrative deal for Ngannou, there are concerns about the level of competition he will face in his new promotion. Only time will tell how Ngannou’s career unfolds in the PFL and whether he will continue to deliver his awe-inspiring performances in the new setting.
Former UFC Heavyweight Champion Francis Ngannou surprised the MMA community by signing with the Professional Fighters League (PFL). While other MMA organizations, such as ONE Championship, were interested in signing him, Ngannou chose an exclusive deal with PFL. His new contract not only allows him to compete in boxing but also guarantees a high seven-figure salary per fight and his own sponsors in the PFL cage.
One noteworthy condition in Ngannou’s contract is that his opponents will be paid a minimum of $2 million to face him. While it may be a high-risk fight against a knockout artist like Ngannou, potential PFL opponents have the opportunity to earn more money in one fight than they have ever made before. However, the big question surrounding Ngannou’s deal is who he will face in PFL that would generate interest from fans.
A challenging aspect of Ngannou’s contract is that his fights will be strictly on pay-per-view, which could be a tough sell to MMA fans. Additionally, PFL currently lacks heavyweights on their roster who are as popular as UFC heavyweights like Jon Jones. Many MMA fans were hoping to see a fight between Jones and Ngannou in the heavyweight division, which could have resulted in a bigger payday for Ngannou and added star power to PFL. Nevertheless, Ngannou made the decision to sign with PFL, opening up new opportunities as a fighter and potentially behind the scenes.
UFC commentator Jon Anik shared his thoughts on Ngannou’s decision on the John Anik and Kenny Florian Podcast. He expressed uncertainty about whether PFL can find a heavyweight opponent for Ngannou who would bring intrigue to the fight. He also doubted whether popular UFC heavyweights would be willing to move to PFL.
Speaking on the John Anik and Kenny Florian Podcast, he stated:
“There are some reports that Ngannou’s deal with the PFL is only a handful of fights, and sure, I’m not even going to start naming a UFC heavyweight that potentially would crossover or be on the tail end of the contract and have a big enough name. Like, you need the perfect storm, right? It’s like, I just think it’s ambitious to think that there’s going to be some relatively big-name UFC heavyweight that’s going to take the short-term play that is the PFL, but I love Francis Ngannou. I’m very happy that it’s the PFL because Ken-flo can get me tickets, but no, I think it makes a lot of sense, and I just hope the big fight materializes for him on the boxing side because otherwise, there were just a lot of big fights that could have happened in the UFC.”
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