Francis Ngannou, former UFC champion who has shifted to boxing, now has the means to pay again a mortgage from his UFC rival and mate, Kamaru Usman. This has all develop into potential after he went toe-to-toe with Anthony Joshua within the ring.

Ngannou started his boxing profession dealing with the mighty Tyson Fury after which took on Anthony Joshua, often known as AJ. With "The Gypsy King," it was a decent bout many reckon he had received however a decide's choice did not go his manner.

With Joshua, nonetheless, issues have been removed from rosy. The 34 yr outdated confirmed no mercy and handled Ngannou similar to how Ngannou used to conquer his opponents contained in the octagon when he was in UFC.

In Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, Joshua served up a knockout punch that left 37-year-old Ngannou down for the rely. Even although he was floored within the match, Ngannou pocketed an estimated $20.1 million, which is greater than sufficient to pay again Usman.

Usman had lent him cash throughout a tough time when he mentioned bye-bye to UFC. "He knew about stuff I turned down from the UFC during negotiation," Ngannou confessed to the Pound 4 Pound podcast.

Francis Ngannou  spoke about taking a hefty pay lower for his final struggle within the organisation. "Even my last fight in the UFC, you know I took $600,000 in my last fight in the UFC as opposed to the $5 million that they were offering for the same fight. I was like, 'Bro.' And, I was broke, at the time. I owe Usman, I owe him $200,000."

In January 2023, Ngannou misplaced his title after disagreements with the UFC over a brand new deal. He shared with Ariel Helwani, a fight sports activities journalist, that he needed medical insurance, sponsorships for all UFC fighters, and an advocate throughout contract talks.

When these requests have been turned down by the UFC, Ngannou took the daring transfer of leaving the organisation - turning into the primary reigning champ to take action since B.J. Penn in 2004. Then, in May 2023, he signed up with the Professional Fighters League (PFL) to comply with his boxing dream.

However, issues have not gone as deliberate along with his boxing profession but. After dropping to Anthony Joshua, he made a heartfelt apology to his followers. "Sorry guys I let you all down," he tweeted with a tragic face. "Today was a bad day in the office but tomorrow will be another day. Thank you all for the love."

Post-fight, Joshua was even heard encouraging his defeated opponent to stay with boxing and shared some uplifting recommendation with him. "I said don't let this discourage you, don't let success get to your head and you should never let failures get to your heart," he mentioned in his post-fight press convention. "I told him I think he's an asset to boxing, he's an asset to the fight game. Don't be discouraged and I respect you regardless. I said keep your head high, don't let this shade everything that you've been through and everything that's yet to come in your career."