News Francis Ngannou vs. Anthony Joshua 100% Confirmed by Eddie Hearn, March 8th, Saudi Arabia

[Otto!]

Great for him. He deserves another huge payday.

 

[Mohawk Banditó]

There's the pot calling the kettle black.

Granted, the conversation was about rankings and who should fight the champ, but I had like a 2-3 page conversation trying to teach him that you don't count to five by first counting zero. And by the end, I'm pretty sure he either still didn't get it, or didn't want to admit he fucked up.

When you have to teach an adult to count to five, ya just kinda tune out everything else they have to say

 

[JKS]

Has the UFC even actually gone out of their way to promote fighters since they left SpikeTV? Before, they were active in trying to market fighters to the general public. Now, they have pushed that almost entirely on the fighter to market themselves, and more often than not, it now comes via drama and controversy.

The UFC locks fighters into long-term contracts to benefit themselves, not the fighters. The only reason the UFC doesn't want to do one-fight contracts is because it empowers the fighter and gives the fighter more leverage to command a higher pay. Under a long-term contract, especially in the UFC's case (as has been proven time and time again), the fighter is at a disadvantage. Their contract negotiations, tactics employed to strong-arm fighters and to keep the fighters indentured is well-known. They give the fighter a stage to perform on, and that's about it. The UFC has the ability to essentially shelve a fighter if they choose to, and the fighter has no recourse to earn money elsewehere.

If fighters do one fight deals and have the ability to entertain offers from any promoter for their next fight, that gives them every incentive in the world to really put on the best showing they can each and every fight. If the UFC wants a particular or exciting fighter badly enough, they will pay him for it or let him go compete for one of their competitors.

Look at Conor as an example. There is a strong possibility Conor could have made more money outside of the UFC simply by being a free agent every fight. Conor most likely made more in one boxing match (even with the UFC taking their 30% of Conor's purse) than he did in all his UFC fights combined. Other organizations would be blowing up his phone if they knew they had repeated chances to sign him to a fight.

Without a doubt the UFC has promoted fighters since Spike lol. They applied much more promotion and marketing since then, I don't think it's even comparable.

Before we elaborate. I don't think that long term contracts are anything that the UFC invented and I don't think they are bad by any means. A longer term contract is just standard in any sport. Bellator and every other mma promotions works like that. Sports leagues work like that to sign players to multi year deals. It's just the system that is applied in every sport. It's a system that is beneficial for both parties. The UFC locks in their investment into their fighters longer term and the fighters gain security longer term. I think you're looking at this in a very narrow perspective of how a longer term contract worked with Francis. But for many fighters, a longer term contract means security and knowing they will be in a promotion for x amount of fights and make the contract amount. Imagine fighters that are mid level fighting fight to fight and their next fight and pay is dependent on whether they win or lose. At the least with a longer term deal, it's gaurenteed pay one way or the other.

I think the UFC uses strong arm tacatics no doubt. But I think it's more to do with them being the biggest promotion in the world by far, not so much the length of contracts. But I don't think doing away with long term contrats would change much, fighters would still deal with issues if negotiating fight to fight. In fact, I think it would be even worse for them. Overall it just wouldn't work because the UFC wouldn't invest as much into building and promoting their fighters and would just cause everythign to be too disorganized with no structure

The system isn't perfect and has it's faults. But it works.

Conor and Francis are very rare examples. They went to a different sport. Now, Francis pretty much the same money as he would vs Jones. Conor on the other hand got a once in a lifetime fight with Floyd. That wont happen on the regular. But Conor made some huge money in the UFC, vs Khabib he made like 30 mill.

 

[bean88]

How exactly did they play hardball by offering him 2 different contracts, that we know of, during that period?

It was Francis playing hardball.

You mean like how they offered to renegotiate at Stipe 2 and Jones?

Again, the UFC kept trying to pay him more. Francis kept saying no.

I'm so sorry this happened to you.

He was offered $8M for Jones and thereafter per fight so long as he kept winning. Loss = pay drops down from $8M. They all said this, people just tried to disengenuously pretend otherwise by saying it wasn't PER FIGHT as it was per COMING OFF A WIN.

Which is what Francis and his team balked at as Jones is a high risk fight for the first fight of the contract. They didn't want to take 1 big pay day and then have to drop down afterwards in case of a loss (to whatever that pay is, he's never told us and it still could've been big).

Which was a perfectly reasonable position by the UFC. No shit if Francis loses the belt he no longer makes championship pay. They're not giving a dude who lost to Jones and doesn't have a belt $8M per fight.

Again, I'm so sorry this happened to you.

How much do they pay you to wafffle on in their defence? Jeez

 

[markg171]

Huh. He admitted after the fight that he had plenty left in the gas tank.

He probably should've thrown more than 6 punches then instead of literally losing the fight because of his low output in the later rounds.

 

[markg171]

How much do they pay you to wafffle on in their defence? Jeez

More than PFL or whatever D League pays you to shill for them

 

[bean88]

More than PFL or whatever D League pays you to shill for them

Cry more Sherbro <45>

 

[Gamboal]

Has the UFC even actually gone out of their way to promote fighters since they left SpikeTV? Before, they were active in trying to market fighters to the general public. Now, they have pushed that almost entirely on the fighter to market themselves, and more often than not, it now comes via drama and controversy.

The UFC locks fighters into long-term contracts to benefit themselves, not the fighters. The only reason the UFC doesn't want to do one-fight contracts is because it empowers the fighter and gives the fighter more leverage to command a higher pay. Under a long-term contract, especially in the UFC's case (as has been proven time and time again), the fighter is at a disadvantage. Their contract negotiations, tactics employed to strong-arm fighters and to keep the fighters indentured is well-known. They give the fighter a stage to perform on, and that's about it. The UFC has the ability to essentially shelve a fighter if they choose to, and the fighter has no recourse to earn money elsewehere.

If fighters do one fight deals and have the ability to entertain offers from any promoter for their next fight, that gives them every incentive in the world to really put on the best showing they can each and every fight. If the UFC wants a particular or exciting fighter badly enough, they will pay him for it or let him go compete for one of their competitors.

Look at Conor as an example. There is a strong possibility Conor could have made more money outside of the UFC simply by being a free agent every fight. Conor most likely made more in one boxing match (even with the UFC taking their 30% of Conor's purse) than he did in all his UFC fights combined. Other organizations would be blowing up his phone if they knew they had repeated chances to sign him to a fight.

Don't be a sad loser and hater. He was never offered $8m for one fight with Jones. It was $8m spread across multiple fights.

 

[OLD RED]

 

[Ancient Warrior]

Hopefully Joshua trains more than Fury and doesn’t humiliate himself.

 

[Levi_]

Frank's manager said he was making more than the 10 mil he made against Fury.

Pulling for Frank all the way, at least to do well. That would be glorious if he won, and I wouldn't be surprised.

 

[Vulve]

lol

joshua would decapitate ngannou in a non-fixed boxing fight

 

[Poirierfan]

Cry more Sherbro <45>

I'm so happy I blocked Mark a long time ago. The dudes an aggravating fucking retard.

 

[Neck&Neck]

I will lol when he knocks down Joshua with a counter

 

[JustforBROCK]

Frank can win this fight. AJ jas improved alot IMO since his loses but he doesnt respond well to taking big shots. If frank can touch him one time he could get a dec over AJ.

 

[Mmmmmmma1234]

I honestly think Frank should be the favorite here. He caught Fury and won other rounds off the best defensive hw of our time.

Aj been tagged by guys like White and Ruiz don't see why Frank can do the same. Only chance for AJ is that super safe run and jab he needed to beat Ruiz, but Frank isn't showing up a fat 280lbs.

 

[Mmmmmmma1234]

Ngannou rolled the dice and won big but just lol @ people acting like they knew leaving the UFC was the right decision. No one saw the Saudis coming.

Yes a huge gamble of these highly predictable fights that many said he would get when he said was leaving.

 

[PeterGriffin]

Without a doubt the UFC has promoted fighters since Spike lol. They applied much more promotion and marketing since then, I don't think it's even comparable.

Before we elaborate. I don't think that long term contracts are anything that the UFC invented and I don't think they are bad by any means. A longer term contract is just standard in any sport. Bellator and every other mma promotions works like that. Sports leagues work like that to sign players to multi year deals. It's just the system that is applied in every sport. It's a system that is beneficial for both parties. The UFC locks in their investment into their fighters longer term and the fighters gain security longer term. I think you're looking at this in a very narrow perspective of how a longer term contract worked with Francis. But for many fighters, a longer term contract means security and knowing they will be in a promotion for x amount of fights and make the contract amount. Imagine fighters that are mid level fighting fight to fight and their next fight and pay is dependent on whether they win or lose. At the least with a longer term deal, it's gaurenteed pay one way or the other.

I think the UFC uses strong arm tacatics no doubt. But I think it's more to do with them being the biggest promotion in the world by far, not so much the length of contracts. But I don't think doing away with long term contrats would change much, fighters would still deal with issues if negotiating fight to fight. In fact, I think it would be even worse for them. Overall it just wouldn't work because the UFC wouldn't invest as much into building and promoting their fighters and would just cause everythign to be too disorganized with no structure

The system isn't perfect and has it's faults. But it works.

Conor and Francis are very rare examples. They went to a different sport. Now, Francis pretty much the same money as he would vs Jones. Conor on the other hand got a once in a lifetime fight with Floyd. That wont happen on the regular. But Conor made some huge money in the UFC, vs Khabib he made like 30 mill.

The biggest problem with the long term contracts with the the UFC is the fact it is entirely one-sided in favour of the organization, and the fighter who gets locked in really has no way to protect himself. The fighters only think they have job security because they signed a 6 fight deal (as an example). The UFC's contracts are specifically written to to protect the organization (which is completely understandable on their behalf) and the fighter can be let go at any time for any reason they feel is necessary, but the fighter has no power to hold the UFC to fulfill the contract or ensure he gets compensated upon being released if he puts in what the UFC considers a sub-par perfomance (for whatever reason).

If the UFC had to fulfill a contract or pay the fighter out, okay, then a long-term deal makes sense on the part of the fighter and I 100% agree with you. But I have never once heard of that happening. The UFC contracts are not like that. Essentially, the fighters are trading away their freedom and limiting their abilities to earn, for hope and a prayer the UFC treats them like Conor and not Jon Fitch.

 

[TheComputerGuy]

Dummy he's overrated, sorry that hurt your feelings

Also, Fury is a massive c**t too.

Yep everyone is a can.

You keep telling yourself that. You should instead work on yourself. Once you feel less of a failure you won't need to come up with ways everyone is a can.

 

[TankAbbott4Eva]

I honestly think Frank should be the favorite here. He caught Fury and won other rounds off the best defensive hw of our time.

Aj been tagged by guys like White and Ruiz don't see why Frank can do the same. Only chance for AJ is that super safe run and jab he needed to beat Ruiz, but Frank isn't showing up a fat 280lbs.

You should be betting big then. I do see a decent chance for Francis, he's big and strong enough and I don't think Joshua's skills are elite, and Francis showed a bit against Fury.

AJ should be a warm favourite though and should win comfortably, you never know though of course.