Tag: Fury vs. Ngannou

Eric Nicksick: Payment from Francis Ngannou for Tyson Fury fight ‘literally brought me to tears because he changed my life’

Eric Nicksick says the money Francis Ngannou paid him for the Tyson Fury fight exceeded anything in UFC and “literally brought me to tears.”

[autotag]Francis Ngannou[/autotag]’s unprecedented departure from UFC to move into a boxing match with Tyson Fury was not only a lucrative decision for him, but for his team, as well.

Ngannou was one of the top storylines in combat sports in 2023 as he finally parted ways with the UFC early in the year. He signed with PFL for his MMA future, then managed to secure a fight with Fury which many believed was never going to happen for him.

Not only did Ngannou blow away expectations for his performance with a controversial split decision loss to Fury, but he seemingly got eight figures to do it. The exact specifics of Ngannou’s payday remain private due to the fact the fight took place in Saudi Arabia, but he’s made it clear the payout exceeded his UFC earnings by multiples.

The trickle-down effect of that purse was felt by those around him, too. One of Ngannou’s coaches, Eric Nicksick from Xtreme Couture, said the money he received for contributing to Ngannou’s camp was a career-best payday for him, as well.

“It was the most money I’ve ever been paid by a fighter – it was unbelievable,” Nicksick told MMA Junkie Radio. “It was more than I expected. Obviously, Francis has always taken great care of me, but it floored me. When I saw my Wells Fargo account that morning, it literally brought me to tears. That’s a true story. Literally brought me to tears because he changed my life – not only from a professional standpoint, but a monetary standpoint.

“It allowed me a lot of financial freedom to allow me to be able to enjoy my coaching, enjoy being a dad and a husband and I get to take my kids to Park City this weekend, my daughter’s 16th birthday. Helped us buy a new car. There’s a lot of things with Francis moving over to boxing, and the way he takes care of his team. He loves every single one of us and he shows it. He takes care of us, and I couldn’t thank him enough.”

Nicksick noted that, unlike Ngannou’s final UFC fights, he did not operate as the chief cornerman for the boxing match for Fury. That distinction went to Dewey Cooper.

But even without that status, Nicksick said his cut from Ngannou outweighed anything he’s received previously as a coach.

“Remember, as his head coach, the two title fights with Stipe (Miocic) and (Ciryl) Gane, he paid me more for the Tyson Fury fight as basically his assistant behind Dewey,” Nicksick said. “I was behind Dewey and I got paid way more than I did in the Gane and Stipe fights and he was taking care of me on that, as well, percentage-wise. If he wants to box, man, I’m all for it. All day long, brother.

“I think it does show that you’re able to go outside the UFC and still be successful. It’s hard to put an evaluation when you talk about Francis and his star power and what he’s capable of doing. Can Jeremy Kennedy do that same thing? I don’t know. There’s just guys I don’t know if that’s going to work out in their favor the same way it did for Francis. But it also gives guys more options, and I think more options are important to have.”

As far as options going forward, it remains to be seen what will be next for Ngannou. He’s in play for a return to MMA for his PFL debut at some point in the year, then also has opportunities in boxing.

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Nicksick said Ngannou’s top desire is to rematch with Fury, but he’s prepared for that to not happen next as Fury is scheduled for a heavyweight title unification bout with Oleksandr Usyk on Feb. 17.

Deontay Wilder was a name frequently linked to Ngannou in recent months, but his upset loss to Joseph Parker this month, and subsequent indecisiveness about his future, puts that in limbo. In Nicksick’s mind that leaves one most viable option, and that would be Anthony Joshua.

“Unfortunately I was kind of bummed to see Wilder lose,” Nicksick said. “But Joseph Parker’s no slouch, either. But it does take some of the lustre off an Ngannou-Wilder fight, in my opinion. If he had won that fight I think it definitely puts us in a better situation for a selling point. If it ends up being a mixed rules, are we going to fight him in MMA first and then boxing? But after the weekend, I feel like Francis and Joshua is the better matchup, especially on the boxing side of things if that’s what he ends up doing.”

Video: Whose words on Francis Ngannou vs. Tyson Fury caught our attention the most?

Dana White and Jon Jones both had nice things to say about Francis Ngannou’s performance vs. Tyson Fury. Shocker?

It’s been more than a week, but the combat sports world still is abuzz with talk of Tyson Fury vs. [autotag]Francis Ngannou[/autotag], which ended with the heavyweight boxing king escaping the former UFC heavyweight champ’s boxing debut with a split decision win in Saudi Arabia.

Since last week’s “Spinning Back Clique” episode, we’ve gotten some reactions from some prominent people, chief among:

Whose words on Ngannou caught your attention the most and why? Our panel of Danny Segura, Dan Tom and Brian “Goze” Garcia answered that with host “Gorgeous” George Garcia.

You can watch their discussion in the video above or check out this week’s full episode on YouTube below.

Mike Tyson proud of Francis Ngannou for listening to everything he said vs. Tyson Fury: ‘The champ went down’

Mike Tyson praised Francis Ngannou for following the game plan in his boxing debut against heavyweight champ Tyson Fury.

[autotag]Mike Tyson[/autotag] praised [autotag]Francis Ngannou[/autotag] for following the game plan vs. [autotag]Tyson Fury[/autotag].

Legendary boxer Tyson helped train Ngannou to go the full 10 rounds with Fury in their crossover boxing match nine days ago in Saudi Arabia. Ngannou knocked down the WBC heavyweight champion in Round 3, but lost the bout by split decision.

Tyson trained Ngannou for the fight,which many thought he had no chance in.

“I was really proud of Francis Ngannou because he listened to everything I said,” Tyson said on a recent episode of “Hotboxin’ with Mike Tyson.” “And I was telling everybody about the great left hook that he landed on his sparring partner and actually broke his leg, and I knew if he landed that left hook on anybody they were gone – and I was right. The champ went down. I’m happy. I’m very grateful to be involved with his glory, his victory. I’m sure we’ll see a lot more of Mr. Francis.”

Ngannou is angling for a rematch with Fury, but “The Gypsy King” is expected to face Oleksandr Usyk next – a fight that already had contracts signed and was announced before Fury vs. Ngannou even happened. Their undisputed heavyweight title unification fight reportedly will happen in February.

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For more on the matchup, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for Fury vs. Ngannou.

Israel Adesanya hopes Francis Ngannou returns to MMA next: ‘I just want to see him use all f*cking limbs’

Israel Adesanya wants to see Francis Ngannou back in MMA.

[autotag]Israel Adesanya[/autotag] wants to see [autotag]Francis Ngannou[/autotag] back in MMA.

Adesanya walked Ngannou out for his crossover boxing match vs. Tyson Fury last month in Saudi Arabia and lost his mind when Ngannou scored a knockdown in Round 3.

Although Ngannou lost, Adesanya acknowledged that his stock is higher than it’s ever been. Ngannou’s name already has been linked to the likes of Anthony Joshua and Deontay Wilder, but Adesanya would rather Ngannou compete in MMA next.

“Before this fight, no one wanted to watch Francis (box) anyone,” Adesanya said on his YouTube channel. “They were like, ‘He doesn’t have a chance. Never.’ Now he’s a superstar, everybody’s going to be, ‘Of course – fight my guy.’ What do I want to see? I haven’t thought about it, to be honest. But first thing, if I’m being honest, I want to see him in MMA. With who? I don’t know. I wasn’t thinking that far.

“I like fighting, and I like Francis boxing. It’s exciting, yes. … I just want to see him use all f*cking limbs. When we see him in those shorts with those f*cking legs and arms, and he looks like a f*cking juggernaut, slings that leg at someone … Patient Francis hits that jab. That’s my pugilism is mixed martial arts, even though I love boxing. I still want to see him fight (MMA and not just box).”

After parting ways with the UFC, Ngannou signed with PFL which helped facilitate his dream to box. However, even PFL founder Donn Davis admits there aren’t too many options for Ngannou in MMA right now outside of Jon Jones – the UFC’s heavyweight champion. He sees Ngannou boxing in his next fight, but expects him to enter the cage sometime in 2024.

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For more on the matchup, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for Fury vs. Ngannou.

Video: Are MMA vs. boxing fights the future of combat sports?

Our “Spinning Back Clique” debates if MMA fighters meeting boxers on their turf will be the future of combat sports.

For some top-level MMA fighters, especially those with a large enough following, getting to test their skills in the boxing ring has become a new career goal.

MMA superstars are drawn to the world of pro boxing not primarily for their aspiration to attain legitimate championship status, but due to the substantially larger financial rewards awaiting them in the boxing ring as opposed to the octagon.

[autotag]Conor McGregor[/autotag] vs. [autotag]Floyd Mayweather[/autotag] opened the door for [autotag]Francis Ngannou[/autotag] vs. [autotag]Tyson Fury[/autotag]. The former proved MMA vs. boxing crossover events could be very lucrative, while the latter proved there is a case for competitive success inside the ropes.

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While it’s unlikely that there will be a flood of these events in the future, as public interest has only grown with the right mix of superstar talent and personality, there is a question to be asked about the future of these events, especially considering Saudi Arabia’s willingness to invest heaps of cash.

We asked our “Spinning Back Clique” panel of Mike Bohn, Danny Segura and Brian “Goze” Garcia to look at the potential future for MMA vs. boxing events with host “Gorgeous” George Garcia.

You can watch their discussion in the video above and check out this week’s full episode on YouTube or in podcast form below.

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For more on the matchup, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for Fury vs. Ngannou.

Billy Joe Saunders: ‘If Tyson Fury was a fraction of himself, Francis Ngannou wouldn’t lay a glove on him’

Former two-division champion Billy Joe Saunders thinks Tyson Fury had an off night vs. Francis Ngannou.

Former two-division champion [autotag]Billy Joe Saunders[/autotag] thinks [autotag]Tyson Fury[/autotag] had an off night vs. [autotag]Francis Ngannou[/autotag].

WBC boxing champion Fury scraped by a split decision against Ngannou in their crossover boxing match in Saudi Arabia. Fury was even knocked down in Round 3 in a fight many thought he lost.

Although Fury said he didn’t underestimate Ngannou, Saunders insists Fury wasn’t himself. He’s confident a rematch would go completely differently.

“It wasn’t a robbery,” Saunders told TalkSport. “It was very close. It could’ve went either way, and obviously Tyson got the nod. He’s the champion, but it wasn’t really Tyson whatsoever. From the word go, I knew he was going to have a tough night because I know Tyson inside out. Normally you see him standing up tall, getting behind that jab, using his feints. If someone said to me, ‘You’re fighting someone from the UFC in the boxing ring,’ I probably would take my eye off the ball a little bit, myself, maybe not go through the fine details.

“The reality is, with a novice you need to make him look at the right hand and then hit him with the left hand. That’s what he needed to do. … If Tyson was a fraction of himself, Ngannou wouldn’t lay a glove on him. But I’ve seen Tyson in sparring – I’ve seen the way he acts in sparring when he’s sparring certain people. To me, it was like he wasn’t switched on from word go. Fair play to Ngannou: He was a lot better than people actually thought.”

Ngannou wants to run things back with Fury, but that won’t happen until Fury faces Oleksandr Usyk next, which was already in the works before the Fury-Ngannou fight even happened. Their undisputed heavyweight title fight will reportedly happen in February.

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For more on the matchup, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for Fury vs. Ngannou.

Dana White: Francis Ngannou going 10 rounds with Tyson Fury in boxing match was ‘unbelievable’

Dana White is amazed that Francis Ngannou went the distance with Tyson Fury.

[autotag]Dana White[/autotag] is amazed [autotag]Francis Ngannou[/autotag] went the distance with [autotag]Tyson Fury[/autotag].

Not only did Ngannou go the full 10 rounds with Fury in their crossover boxing match this past Saturday in Saudi Arabia, but he knocked down the WBC heavyweight champion in a fight many thought he won.

Although White wasn’t happy with Ngannou’s departure from the UFC and shut the door on him ever returning, that didn’t stop him from praising the former heavyweight champion’s effort.

“I didn’t see the fight, but the fact that he went 10 rounds with Tyson Fury is crazy,” White said on Donald Trump Jr.’s Triggered podcast. “He just went 10 rounds with Tyson Fury. Conor (McGregor) made it 9 or 10 with Floyd. Anthony Pettis just beat Roy Jones Jr. – I know Roy is friggin’ 60 years old or whatever. But I don’t know what the hell is going on. It’s crazy. I didn’t see the fight, but the fact that he went 10 rounds is unbelievable.”

When asked if Ngannou’s boxing success hurt the UFC, White scoffed at the notion.

“I don’t care,” White said. “Listen, these guys, at some point, everybody is going to move on. Everybody has to do what’s right for them and make money for their families, so whatever they’ve got to do, they’ve got to do.”

White has long been critical of the boxing model to the point that he considered launching Zuffa Boxing. Trump Jr. cited corrupt decisions in boxing and how there’s no real control of the money.

“It’s not even the corruption – you can’t build a business off it,” White responded. “The key to having something is building a business. When you talk about the NFL, the NBA, MLB, they took football, basketball and baseball and created a business out of it. That’s what we did with fighting, and it just can’t be done with boxing. It’s too crazy.”

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Video: Did Francis Ngannou leave the UFC at the altar?

How does the UFC look after Francis Ngannou walked away and shook up the combat sports world with his performance against Tyson Fury?

[autotag]Francis Ngannou[/autotag] shook up the combat sports world and his former promotion may now have egg on its face.

The UFC and Ngannou parted ways after the former heavyweight champion completed his contract with a win over Ciryl Gane in January 2022. Ngannou left the title behind, standing behind his desire to enter the boxing ring, which his something that would not happen under UFC contract.

Ngannou moved on by signing with the PFL, and finally competed in his first professional boxing bout where shocked the world with his performance in a split decision loss to WBC heavyweight boxing champion Tyson Fury in Saudi Arabia.

Many thought Fury would wipe the floor with Ngannou, because after all, he never fought professionally as a boxer. However, Ngannou showed up with a very complete gameplan, knocked down Fury, and won a judge’s scorecard after 10 rounds of action.

The UFC could have been a part of this massive event if they were open to allowing certain fighters the ability to compete in boxing, but that’s just not how they do business (unless you’re Conor McGregor). Instead, Ngannou took a chance on himself, made it work, and is now arguably the hottest name in combat sports after taking one of boxing’s best the distance.

How does the UFC look in this situation? Are they winners, losers, or neither? Our “Spinning Back Clique” panel of Mike Bohn, Danny Segura and Brian “Goze” Garcia answer that question with host “Gorgeous” George Garcia.

You can watch their discussion in the video above and check out this week’s full episode on YouTube or in podcast form below.

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For more on the matchup, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for Fury vs. Ngannou.

Kenny Florian believes Francis Ngannou’s boxing success should concern PFL but expects him to honor deal

Francis Ngannou’s stunning debut performance vs. Tyson Fury has opened a plethora of opportunities in boxing, but what about MMA?

[autotag]Francis Ngannou[/autotag]’s stunning debut performance vs. Tyson Fury has opened up a plethora of opportunities for him in the ring, but what about MMA?

Former UFC heavyweight champion Ngannou surpassed expectations when he lost a close split decision to WBC heavyweight champ Fury in their crossover boxing match this past Saturday in Saudi Arabia. Ngannou had the better moments in the fight, even knocking down Fury in Round 3.

Ngannou’s name already has been linked to boxing stars Anthony Joshua and Deontay Wilder, which PFL analyst [autotag]Kenny Florian[/autotag] believes casts doubt on an immediate MMA return. But Florian has faith that Ngannou will hold up his end of the deal, which allowed him the flexibility to box.

“I’d be lying if I said it wasn’t a concern right now because he has the ability to be a star in a completely different sport now,” Florian said on his “Anik & Florian” podcast. “That just opened up a ton of opportunities for him not only in the rematch with Tyson Fury, you have Anthony Joshua and his manager that’s calling him out now. I mean, people want to fight this guy now because he’s such an amazing story. So, ton of opportunities now, everyone is kind of licking their lips who want to fight Francis Ngannou – managers, promoters.

“But I do think we’ll see Francis Ngannou in the cage. I think early 2024 we’ll at least see one mixed martial arts fight. What happens after that? I don’t know honestly, but I do think we will see him. I think Francis is someone who is going to honor this. This wouldn’t have happened without the PFL. I think he’ll come back, will have this one mixed martial arts fight. I think it’s going to help the pay-per-view tremendously for the PFL.”

Even PFL founder Donn Davis doubts Ngannou competes in MMA next. While he expects his promotional debut in 2024, he doesn’t see any interesting fights for him in MMA outside of Jon Jones, who is the current UFC heavyweight champion.

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For more on the matchup, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for Fury vs. Ngannou.

Francis Ngannou hopes Oleksandr Usyk can step aside and let him rematch Tyson Fury

Ideally, Francis Ngannou would like to rematch Tyson Fury next, but he’d need an assist from Oleksandr Usyk to do that.

Ideally, [autotag]Francis Ngannou[/autotag] would like to rematch [autotag]Tyson Fury[/autotag] next.

After taking Fury to a split decision in their crossover boxing match this past Saturday in Saudi Arabia, Ngannou wants to avenge his loss. The former UFC heavyweight champion, who knocked down Fury in Round 3, thought he won the fight.

Ngannou is currently signed with PFL and does plan on stepping inside the cage at some point next year. However, he’d rather run things back with Fury first.

“The rematch is what I want next the most,” Ngannou told TMZ. “As for right now, I feel like there is a lot of options for me, but I want to choose wisely, and I would go for the rematch first.”

Fury is expected to face Oleksandr Usyk next, which was already in the works before the Fury-Ngannou fight even happened. Their undisputed heavyweight title fight will reportedly happen in February, but Ngannou hopes he can somehow meet Fury again before that.

“My best scenario in boxing is to wait for Fury,” Ngannou said. “If Usyk can step out and let me fight Fury, I’ll fight Fury. Then I’ll let them do whatever they do. I’ll go back, maybe do some MMA fight and come back and take some people in boxing. I’m planning to fight potentially twice next year, maybe February or March.”

If Ngannou doesn’t get his desired rematch right away, he’s willing to return to MMA then lace up the boxing gloves by the end of 2024.

“If it doesn’t work, I can still fight February or March in MMA,” Ngannou continued. “Then expecting by the end of the year, this time October because it’s going to give me at least seven to eight months to recover from my MMA fight in case something happens.”

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For more on the matchup, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for Fury vs. Ngannou.