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Francis Ngannou's decision to leave the UFC, rejecting what was reportedly the most lucrative contract in the history of the promotion's heavyweight division, has been praised by Jake Paul in a recent interview.
'The Problem Child' took part in a sitdown with Sports Illustrated. During the interview, Paul spoke glowingly of Ngannou's UFC departure and subsequent journey into the PFL, for whom he will finally debut this weekend. 'The Predator' faces Renan Ferreira, last year's heavyweight champion, for the division's Super Fight title.
When asked about Ngannou's upcoming debut and the PFL's potential to compete with the UFC, Paul was optimistic:
"It's huge...overall, in general with fighters and proving that you can get what you deserve in other organizations, and kudos to him for being the one to disrupt the system, and I think it's going to be dominoes falling now in terms of other fighters following in his footsteps."
Check out Jake Paul's praise for Francis Ngannou (5:20):
While Paul's optimism is noted, it will be difficult for the PFL to compete for the UFC in a conventional sense. Many still regard the UFC as the home of the world's best fighters, while the PFL has a sizable chunk of ex-UFC fighters, many of whom failed to succeed in the octagon or are on a steep decline.
The likes of Maurice Greene and Anthony Pettis come to mind. The former is a heavyweight whose poor record of 11-9 doesn't flatter him, while Pettis has been on a serious rough patch ever since losing the UFC lightweight title back in 2015.
Francis Ngannou's PFL contract is historic
Part of the reason behind the excitement surrounding Francis Ngannou's PFL stint is his contract.
By signing with the promotion, 'The Predator' secured a contract like no other in the sport. Not only is he free to pursue boxing matches, which he already has, but he will pocket a high seven-figure salary.
Moreover, he has secured a base $2 million purse for his opponents, is part of the PFL's global advisory board, and is an equity owner and chairman for PFL Africa, launches in 2025.
Additionally, he has his own sponsors and earns a percentage of each PFL event's net profits.
