Francis Ngannou wants to earn $30 million for any boxing fight according to MMA manager Ali Abdelaziz.
Former UFC heavyweight champion Ngannou recently announced his decision to part ways with the promotion after failing to negotiate a new deal with the UFC and president Dana White. 'The Predator' has made it clear on several occasions that he intends to fight in the boxing ring and has been heavily linked with clashes against Tyson Fury and Deontay Wilder.
One of the key reasons for Ngannou's UFC departure was for the opportunity to earn lucrative paydays which are regular for high-profile boxing fights. The Cameroon star previously expressed his frustration at the financial reward in the UFC, and even compared his own purses to WBC champion Fury's for his fight against Wilder.
In leaked messages online, MMA manager Abdelaziz who is friends with Ngannou, appears to have suggested Ngannou's price to lace up his gloves. Boxing promoter Tolya Sulyanov posted a screenshot of the messages online in which Abdelaziz claimed it would be $30 million to prise him into the ring.
This comes after Sulyanov offered Ngannou an alleged $3 million guaranteed payout to step in and fight under the Hardcore Fighting Championship banner. Any offer will join a whole host of potential talks that could be on the table for Ngannou including for fights against Anthony Joshua and Wilder.
Ngannou has also publicly agreed to a mixed-rules fight with heavyweight star Fury but a potential date is yet to be discussed given his rival's quest for the undisputed titles against Oleksandr Usyk. Former UFC champion Henry Cejudo believes that Ngannou could top his named price and earn $40 million if Fury is named as his first task.
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"The case here is there’s about 40 million dollars waiting for him if he fights ‘The Gypsy King’ and I believe that's the route that he's going," he told The Triple C & Schmo Show. "I knew the UFC offered him a lot more than what they would have ever offered him but that being said, I think he's going to take the money route.
"He's going to fight ‘The Gypsy King,’ he’s going to do this exhibition… I believe he does deserve a 40 million dollar pay day cause that's exactly what he will get if he fights ‘The Gypsy King’.”
Fury has proposed a new fight deal at the end of the last year, but has yet to commit to official talks with the power-puncher who is keeping his options open. Ngannou could try to push through a new line of communication over a showdown if Fury's fight with Usyk collapses before their planned April date.
