Perhaps nobody in the world of combat sports had a more interesting 2023 than Francis Ngannou.
The former UFC heavyweight world champion walked away from the promotion whilst still sitting on the division’s throne after two years of failed negotiations. Turning down an offer that would have made him the highest-paid heavyweight in organizational history, fighters and fans alike were quick to claim that Ngannou had “fumbled the bag” by simply asking for too much.
But ‘The Predator’ knew exactly what he was worth and he was determined to get it, no longer how long it took.
“I [heard a lot of] controversial opinions about my career decisions because most of those things was about my career this year,” Ngannou said in a video via his YouTube channel. “Then negotiations with different organizations that were interested. A lot of them were just trying to navigate the narrative and potentially get some promotion. We have a lot of different people. Some two-faces. It’s part of the business and that’s something that I learned this year, how this business can be nasty.
“You have people who pretend to be something that they are not, but it’s a good part of the learning process. Becoming a fighter and then stepping into that position is something you are not educated about. Most fighters never get educated and for the most part, that’s why fighters keep getting screwed.”
A year of proper celebration & gratitude 🙏🏿
See you all in 2024 🤴🏿☝🏿 pic.twitter.com/g36avtAE9n
— Francis Ngannou (@francis_ngannou) December 29, 2023
Four months removed from his UFC release, Ngannou signed a history-making contract with the Professional Fighters League. One that would make both him and his future opponents inside the Smart Cage very wealthy.
“I’m lucky I got into the position where I had to learn that and then comes the PFL with a great offer, a great contract, and a great opportunity that I couldn’t turn down,” Ngannou added.
Francis Ngannou Hushed the Haters in His Pro Boxing Debut
In addition to securing a big bag, Francis Ngannou will also serve as the chairman of PFL Africa, the promotion’s latest expansion which is expected to make a splash in 2024.
Of course, Ngannou once again proved all of his doubters wrong when he made his professional boxing debut in October against reigning WBC heavyweight world champion Tyson Fury. ‘The Predator’ delivered a stunning performance during the 10-round scrap and even secured a knockdown of ‘The Gypsy King’ in the third. Ngannou ultimately came up short on two of the three judge’s scorecards, but the decision was met with a fair amount of backlash.
Still, Ngannou found himself inserted into the No. 10 spot in the WBC heavyweight rankings, paving the way for a plethora of potential matchups in the sweet science.
“Doubters always doubt. Haters always hate,” Ngannou concluded.
Watch the full video below:
