Francis Ngannou Signs Deal With Professional Fighters League
Francis Ngannou, a former Ultimate Fighting Championship heavyweight champion, has signed an unusual multifight contract with a rival promotional company, the Professional Fighters League, ending a highly publicized free agency period that highlighted contentious themes of fighter pay and athlete influence in the evolving world of mixed martial arts.
Ngannou and the P.F.L. were expected to announce Tuesday that they had agreed to what they labeled a “strategic partnership,” a deal that gives Ngannou equity and leadership roles in the mixed martial arts company while also letting him pursue outside boxing fights. Ngannou intends to fight a mixed martial arts bout in the P.F.L. in mid-2024, after competing in a boxing ring sometime this year.
None of Ngannou’s fights have been set.
The terms of the deal, including finances and its duration, were not disclosed by Ngannou or the P.F.L. “Let’s just say, all-in my deal with P.F.L. is more than anyone else offered,” Ngannou said.
As part of the agreement, Ngannou will become chairman of P.F.L. Africa, an expansion initiative to produce events on the continent, and will serve on the company’s advisory board to represent fighter interests.
Source: The New York Times
