Francis Ngannou is still voicing his frustrations with the current UFC pay infrastructure. In the past, Ngannou spoke about the amount of revenue that fighters receive from the UFC. Now, Francis speaks up for soldiers who lose controversial decisions that also lose half of their pay.
The majority of the MMA world was on board with the concerns of Ngannou, who is echoing the rhetoric of Jon Jones. Like UFC middleweight Paulo Costa, Jones admitted that they would sit out on fighting until the UFC pays them what they deserve. Some of the biggest stars in the promotion have felt like they weren’t earning their fair share of their money and are concerned with the “show/win” pay formula.
At UFC Vegas 32, several fights ended in controversial decisions that made fans scratch their heads. However, the result of the findings isn’t just a loss on their records; it also deprives the loser of the second half of their check if they were to score an official win to the judges.
Ngannou Voices Frustration With Pay Structure
Immediately after the night was over, Ngannou voiced his frustrations on social media.
The fighter has to go home unrewarded with all that frustration – and half of their money – for a job well done. Something needs to be done for these athletes getting robbed on the score cards. #justiceforfighters
— Francis Ngannou (@francis_ngannou) July 26, 2021
“It’s interesting how we see injustice done to the fighters by some judges, we talk about it, and then move on from it the next day, only to get pissed off again when it happens the next time,” said Ngannou.
“The fighter has to go home unrewarded with all that frustration – and half of their money – for a job well done. Something needs to be done for these athletes getting robbed on the scorecards.”
Speaking Out
Perhaps if enough fighters speak out against the current pay structure, things will change. Former fighters such as Nate Quarry and current fighters like Leslie Smith have led the charge on making changes in the UFC.
Maybe a voice like Ngannou’s can spark a necessary change.
