Francis Ngannou reportedly turned down $24 million as part of the UFC’s final offer and Henry Cejudo commends him for doing so.
After nearly two years of negotiations, Ngannou and the UFC were unable to reach an agreement on a new contract. The UFC’s offer would have made ‘The Predator’ the highest-paid heavyweight in promotional history, but for Ngannou, the freedom to decide his own future was something he was unwilling to put a price on. Still, Ngannou stands to score a massive payday wherever he lands first. Sharing his thoughts on Ngannou’s untimely exit, Henry Cejudo commended the Cameroonian heavyweight for knowing his worth and seeking exactly that in his future endeavors.
“You know why he’s out? Because there’s bigger paydays,” Cejudo said in a video uploaded to his YouTube channel. “You’re not get just a little piece of the pie with the UFC. You’re gonna go abroad and eat a majority of a pie. Probably half a pie. Would you want one percent of a pie or would you want half of a pie? Splitting it with your opponent. There’s a lot of potential matches with them. There’s that Deontay Wilder fight. There is that [Tyson Fury] fight.”
Appreciate all of your support during this time. Full reaction to my UFC departure is live on my YouTube channelhttps://t.co/2M4TGbjUi6 pic.twitter.com/RBZvzWNxAh
— Francis Ngannou (@francis_ngannou) January 18, 2023
Henry Cejudo Does Not Believe Francis Ngannou Stands a Chance Against a World-Class Boxer
‘The Predator’ has already made it clear that a debut in the squared circle is on the docket, but some, including Cejudo, are skeptical about his ability to put on a strong showing in the world of boxing. Particularly against world-class athletes such as Deontay Wilder and Tyson Fury. Asked by his producer if Ngannou would have any real chance in a fight against one of boxing’s pound-for-pound greats, Cejudo responded with an emphatic no.
“No. The reason why I say no is because Francis Ngannou has heavy hands, but that 10-ounce glove is going to take a lot of power from him. The sweet science of boxing, it’s just different. Especially with the heavyweight boxers. Especially with the smart agile boxer.”
“I would give Francis Ngannou a chance if the gloves were smaller. If they were literally UFC gloves like, ‘Alright guys, you guys go out there and fight.’ I would almost bet the house on Francis, but the simple fact that if it does go to boxing, Francis is in trouble. There’s a stoppage. He just can’t go against the heavyweight champion and think because you have knockout power. Anything can happen. 100 percent, but the probability of it happening are very slim. Like .001 in my eyes.”
