• Loading stock data...
Friday, June 6, 2025

How Francis Ngannou and PFL Could Revolutionize Fighters’ Pay

  • Ngannou left UFC as the reigning UFC heavyweight champ, and signed with PFL last month.
  • Ngannou says his PFL deal is a ‘huge signal to others’ in the UFC seeking more money.
PFL
PFL

Francis Ngannou certainly experienced the kind of next-level notoriety that comes with holding the UFC heavyweight belt.

But his compensation — especially as the top fighter in the most dominant MMA league on the planet — wasn’t something the Cameroon native liked to discuss.

“It was embarrassing,” Ngannou told Front Office Sports. “I’d get to places with some athletes that are not even on my level, and they’re talking about their deals and their revenue. I’d just shut my mouth and try to sneak out. … For about five years, it was a topic that I wasn’t able to talk about out loud.”

Ngannou isn’t ashamed these days. The 36-year-old signed with the Professional Fighters League (PFL) last month, a deal that gave him financial security and something else he missed out on with UFC: a voice.

Ngannou lobbied the UFC for years to hold its first event in Africa, as did Nigerian fighters Israel Adesanya and Kamaru Usman.

“At least one show, one Fight Night, so I could fight on my continent,” Ngannou said. “I really want to bring something back home. For an athlete, you want to get something and bring it back to your people. But none of that was ever considered.”

PFL president Peter Murray did more than just promise a fight in Africa. The continent will be among the six international regional leagues PFL will launch over the next three years. The league’s first international series, PFL Europe, launched earlier this year.

Ngannou — who received an unspecified equity interest in PFL — will serve as chairman of PFL Africa when it launches in 2025.

“Fighters did not have a major global alternative before,” Murray told FOS. “This is a disruptive model. Today around the world, you know what the strategy is for the significant majority of pro fighters.”

PFL

Five-Year Plan

UFC has seen rivals come and go over the years — including those launched with big-name (and expensive) talent like Affliction MMA and the World Fighting Alliance. When challenged, UFC has managed to either outlast or simply acquire its adversaries, like it did with WEC, Pride, and Strikeforce. 

PFL grew out of the World Series of Fighting, an organization purchased in 2017 by an investment group that includes Washington Capitals, Wizards, and Mystics owner Ted Leonsis, the Los Angeles Dodgers’ investment arm Elysian Park Ventures, Washington Nationals managing owner Mark Lerner, and current Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin.

Officially launched in 2018, PFL has raised more than $200 million to date, the last round coming in May 2022 from a group that includes former MLB slugger and Timberwolves co-owner Alex Rodriguez.

The latest $30 million in funding pinned PFL’s valuation at $500 million — less than half of what UFC made in 2022 for parent company Endeavor.

While it doesn’t specifically break down financials for UFC alone, Endeavor’s sports group — for which UFC drives most of the profits — made $1.3 billion last year.

“We’re the No. 2 today after five years,” Murray said. “Obviously, we have a much broader vision. We are now on our next phase of growth, which is expanding our content franchises.”

Many within the MMA community consider Viacom-owned Bellator the No. 2 MMA outfit, even as PFL has increased its broadcast and streaming viewership on ESPN platforms by 45% over the last year, and whose broadcasts routinely reach 40% of UFC’s typical event viewership.

But the Bellator vs. PFL debate could be moot in the coming months. 

Bellator president Scott Coker told MMA Junkie on Thursday that PFL “is definitely in the conversation” when it came to would-be suitors. While Bellator isn’t on the market, it has been open to partnerships or a potential acquisition for a while.

One industry source told FOS that a PFL takeover of Bellator could hinge on a new round of investment, with PFL committing its focus and money to its international expansion effort.

Beyond fronting those worldwide plans, Ngannou is also critical of the league’s foray into the pay-per-view business. He will only fight in the new PPV Super Fight Division, not the regular-season and playoff format PFL has used since its launch.

November’s PFL Championship was the league’s first PPV event, offered for $49.99 on ESPN+. The Super Fight Division will make PPV events more common — a model that could prove to be the most lucrative for MMA fighters.

The first fighter to sign on with the league’s PPV Super Fight Division was social media influencer/boxer Jake Paul in January. While the first PPV Super Fight has yet to be scheduled, the revenue split has been determined: Fighters will get a 50% cut of the PPV buys.

Ngannou could be making more than $4 million per fight, according to one industry source. His future PFL opponents will make least $2 million. Ngannou made about $650,0000 when he defended his UFC heavyweight crown in January 2022, his last fight with the promotion.

PFL

Dirty Little Secret

As UFC grew in popularity, so did the number of sponsors the league accumulated. In most categories, those exclusive deals prevent fighters from signing agreements with competing brands.

“It wasn’t just Reebok and [current official apparel partner] Venom,” Ngannou said. “Nobody was happy about those deals. There were complaints from fighters, but nothing happened because we have no power.

“I was this close to signing with Coinbase for over $1 million a year. At the time, there wasn’t a million dollars in my bank account. I had never seen a million dollars, so that was a huge deal.”

Then UFC announced that it had signed a 10-year deal with Crypto.com worth $175 million in July 2021. 

“What did I get from the Crypto.com deal? Zero,” Ngannou said. “I was losing all that money on the side. Before, fighters used to have sponsors on their shirts and other things, but now you have nothing. You have no say about it. They are generating all this massive revenue out of sponsorships, but [the fighters] get nothing.”

It’s estimated that UFC fighters get about 20% of UFC’s revenues, according to a long-running lawsuit filed by several former fighters alleging UFC was artificially suppressing fighter pay.

UFC President Dana White has remained defiant on the pay issue. 

“Believe me, these guys get paid what they’re supposed to get paid,” White said last August. “They eat what they kill. They get a percentage of the pay-per-view buys. And the money is spread out amongst all the fighters.”

While settlements and verdicts in the multiple federal cases in federal could change how UFC operates, Ngannou mentioned another option.

“For so long there’s been only one destination,” he said. “Now it’s clear that they’re not the only destination. Look, I am the heavyweight champ, and I signed with PFL. I’m happy with that. I think this will send a huge signal to others out there that [UFC is] not the only option in the market. 

“Things will change. Things will definitely change.”

Linkedin
Whatsapp
Copy Link
Link Copied
Link Copied

What to Read

August 31, 2024; Columbus, Ohio, USA; The Goodyear blimp flies over Ohio Stadium during the first half of Saturday’s NCAA Division I football game between the Akron Zips and the Ohio State Buckeyes.

Why the Goodyear Blimp Is at Every Major Sports Event

The airship wasn’t built to cover sports. Now it’s a regular presence.
Apr 3, 2022; Arlington, TX, USA; WWE owner Vince McMahon enters the arena during WrestleMania at AT&T Stadium.

Vince McMahon Has Dumped Close to $2 Billion of TKO Stock in..

The embattled WWE founder is fighting sexual assault allegations in court.
May 27, 2015; Paris, France; Mirjana Lucic-Baroni (CRO) knocks the clay off her shoe during her match against Simona Halep (ROU) on day four of the French Open at Roland Garros

Roland-Garros’s Iconic Red-Clay Surface Is a Precise Alchemy

The exact science behind maintaining the French Open’s red clay.
Alex Jensen introductory press conference on Monday, March 17, 2025.

Alex Jensen Started Utah Utes HC Job While Still Coaching the Mavs

How Jensen began building an NCAA program while patrolling the Dallas sideline.

Featured Today

PSG and the City of Paris Can Join European Soccer’s Elite

What a maiden Champions League title would mean for the French club.
May 30, 2025

How the Champions League Anthem Took on a Life of Its Own

The composer didn’t know he wrote a timeless hit three decades ago.
May 25, 2025

How Rolex Paved the Way for Luxury’s Love Affair With Tennis

“It’s almost impossible to think about tennis without thinking about Rolex.”
Mar 23, 2025; Miami, FL, USA; Alexandra Eala (PHI) reacts after winning a point against Madison Keys (USA)(not pictured) on day six of the Miami Open at Hard Rock Stadium.
May 24, 2025

Alex Eala Is Defying Her Country’s Odds to Make French Open History

The Philippines native has overcome a unique set of financial odds.

NHL Not Opening Expansion Bids—but Houston, Atlanta Still in Mix

The question of additional franchises will stay in a more unstructured process.
Jun 4, 2025; Paris, FR; Coco Gauff of the United States celebrates winning her match against Madison Keys of the United States on day 11 at Roland Garros Stadium.
June 4, 2025

Coco Gauff Is Last Hope for U.S. to End French Open Drought

Gauff last made the French Open final in 2022.
June 4, 2025

Manfred: MLB Wants New Media-Rights Deal Before All-Star Game

Talks continue with three bidders, and a decision is expected soon.
Sponsored

Game On: Portfolio Players Stories, Brought to You by E*TRADE from Morgan Stanley

In Episode 7 of Portfolio Players, go inside the boardroom with Avenue Capital CEO and former Milwaukee Bucks co-owner Marc Lasry on Giannis’s future, women’s sports, and upstart leagues like TGL and Unrivaled. 
LeBron James
June 4, 2025

Adam Silver: All-Star Game Will Be USA vs. World in Daytime Event

The NBA tried a tournament last year that fell in ratings.
Hilary Knight
June 4, 2025

PWHL Teams Risk Losing Superstars in Expansion Draft

The league permitted teams to initially protect only three players each.
June 4, 2025

ACC Lawsuits Formally Closed, but How Long Will Peace Remain?

Florida State, Clemson, and the ACC have ended their litigation.
Dec 26, 2024; Indianapolis, Indiana, USA; Oklahoma City Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (2) dribbles the ball while Indiana Pacers guard Bennedict Mathurin (00) defends in the second half at Gainbridge Fieldhouse.
June 3, 2025

NBA Finals Ticket Prices Down 25%, Still Average Over $1,000

The NBA Finals tip off Thursday in Oklahoma City.