Randy Couture is in awe of how Francis Ngannou handled free agency and is proud that he came to the PFL.
MMA Legend Randy Couture is taking a look at Francis Ngannou and his new contract with PFL. For someone of the stature of Nagnnou, a UFC heavyweight champion, to just up and leave the most popular MMA promotion was a bold move. Ngannou had things in his mind that he wanted to do and achieve and he felt he could not do them with the UFC. He left in search of a new fight promotion, one that would be kind to fighters and give him the ability to try boxing and he has found all of that with PFL.
Ngannou’s new contract will allow him to box when not fighting MMA and will put him in the new PFL Super Fight Division. He will be featured on the PPV cards and not the full PFL season, but Nagnnou is going to be involved in making the sport better for others as well. He is the chairman of PFL Africa and will help advance the sport in his home country. He also asked that any fighter who faces him be paid at least $2 million dollars.
Randy Couture thinks Francis Ngannou is hanging the sport of MMA
Randy Couture is heavily involved with PFL. He is happy to see Ngannou come to his organization and praises him for his thoughtfulness towards his fellow fighters. He spoke to Middle Easy exclusively about this.
“Francis stuck to his guns and he got all the things that he wanted. Who in the hell ever asked for a $2 million minimum for their opponent, whoever steps in that cage to fight him,” he said. “Nobody has done that. I mean, that is a brilliant move. And if that doesn’t get all the free agents in the heavyweight divisions across the board’s attention, I don’t know what will.”
Couture is hoping that Ngannou’s move will cause a change in the sport of MMA for the better. He talks about getting started on the right foot with Ngannou’s demands and although it may take a while, he thinks the sport could change for the better.
“I’m hoping there’s a ripple effect from this and that some of the other promotions are forced to step up and change the way they’re doing business,” he said. “All those things that Francis was trying to get with the UFC that they weren’t willing to give. So hopefully, we can continue to set an example for the sport. And hopefully, we are able to amend the Ali Act, create some regulations, create some transparency in our sport, eliminate some of the very restrictive contracts a lot of these fighters have to deal with. Hopefully find a way to create some retirement funds for some of these fighters, some health care while they’re putting their bodies on the line and competing. Those are things that we have to continue to move forward.”
Ngannou still looks to try his hand at boxing and has called out some of the biggest names in the sport. His debut with PFL will happen after he has a boxing match as he has stated and may not happen until next year.
