Welcome to MMA News Today, a daily feature running down the most interesting stories in the world of mixed martial arts. For May 26, 2023, we’re taking a look at:
- Francis Ngannou reveals meagre pay for KO’ing Cain Velasquez.
- TUF contestant discusses being removed from the show by Conor McGregor.
- Daniel Cormier analyzes how Tyson Fury would fare against Jon Jones.
“Few Pennies” – Francis Ngannou On Pay Received From The UFC
During a recent interview with the LeBatardShow, former UFC Heavyweight Champion Francis Ngannou discussed the many issues he had with the UFC’s treatment of him during his time there.
‘The Predator’ confirmed that he was, on average, receiving between 100,000 and 120,000 for his brutal KOs over heavyweight legends such as Cain Velasquez and Junior dos Santos.
Ngannou also discussed the “dirty game” he believes the UFC used against him during his last contract with the promotion. Essentially putting his fighting career on hold to avoid ‘The Predator’ being able to complete his contract and leave, the promotion left Ngannou in a high-stress financial situation nearer the start of this decade.
“I had an eight-fight contract and I wanted to fulfill that contract, but they wouldn’t allow me since I wasn’t going to sign another contract because they know that if I fulfill that contract, I’m automatically free,” Ngannou explained. “They used some kind of dirty game there, freeze me out, they knew how much I was getting per fight. It wasn’t much at all, few pennies. They knew I couldn’t make a living out of it so I had to come back and accept that contract. That was after the Junior dos Santos fight in June 2019. One of the things that was hard about that as well was the pressure they were putting on [me]. I’m just me and they are them. They are massive.” (h/t MMA Mania)
“I’d Chuck Bombs At Him” – Mitch Ramirez On Conor McGregor
During a recent interview with Fight Fluency, undefeated welterweight prospect Mitch Ramirez discussed his removal from the new season of The Ultimate Fighter.
The news broke several weeks ago that ‘The Notorious’ had opted to switch out several contestants with his own choices. Unfortunately for Ramirez, he was one such fighter who found himself on the chopping block.
When asked if he’d look for some payback against McGregor in a potential fight, Ramirez confirmed he would be hunting for a knockout.
“The answer’s yeah,” Ramirez responded. “If Conor wanted to fight, would I chuck bombs at him? F*** yeah I’d chuck bombs at him dude. I’d be trying to knock him out just like I try to knock out everybody else I fight.”
Ramirez went on to give a shoutout to UFC President Dana White, requesting he give Ramirez a shot in the Octagon.
