Francis Ngannou will double his record payday Friday when he fights Anthony Joshua in a heavyweight boxing match in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, according to reports.
Forbes suggests the former UFC heavyweight champion could earn approximately $20 million for the spectacle on March 8.
This is double what he received for his first boxing match which took place in November 2023; a 10-round decision loss to Tyson Fury in a bout in which he dropped the champion in stunning fashion.
At that time, Ngannou’s manager Marquel Martin said his client received more money fighting Fury than he did from his entire UFC career combined.
Ngannou entered the UFC after seven MMA fights and stayed there until his 20th MMA bout in total.
In July, Martin told The MMA Hour that the Fury fight alone was bigger than his UFC purses combined “by far, by multiples.”
Martin was talking in response to critics who had previously said Ngannou fumbled the bag by failing to re-sign with the UFC and instead tested free agency.
“The bag is so big, he may actually just drop it on the way to the bank,” Martin said.
Back then, Bloomberg reported that Ngannou banked $10 million for that match.
Now, the bag for the Joshua bout appears to be twice as big.
Per Forbes, once Ngannou’s guarantee, pay-per-view sales revenue split, and sponsorships are combined, his pre-tax pay could top $20 million.
Anthony Joshua, meanwhile, could expect to receive $50 million for the Ngannou fight, Forbes said.
Friday May Not Be the Last Time Ngannou Strikes It Rich
While Ngannou is world-renowned for being one of the most powerful strikers MMA has ever seen, Friday’s date with Joshua may not be the last time he strikes it rich.
At a press event Wednesday in Riyadh, Ngannou needed no second invitation to chirp away at his old rival Fury, perhaps in an attempt to score a lucrative rematch down the line.
He reminded the Brit that he thought he deserved a win that night because of the knockdown, and said that if they ever fought again he’d score another victory.
Fury, who attended the event as a spectator, did not seem amused and can be seen on video shouting things at Ngannou, who is sitting on the stage.
“I’m really intending to again [get] a major victory like this, one more over Tyson, because I had the first one over him, and intend to have the second one,” Ngannou told reporters.
When Fury shouts from the crowd, Ngannou responded: “I’m going to wipe the ring with your [expletive] again. There was blood in the ring.”
He added: “I tell you, you’re only chance is in the boxing ring with boxing gloves. When you stay away from that ring you better be five meters away because I’ll stuff your [expletive].
“If I lose it, you’re going to have a really bad time. Respect the fact that boxing is protecting you. And the rules of boxing are protecting us. Without that, you are nothing in front of me.
“I’ll beat you every day and twice on Sunday,” Ngannou finished.
Francis Ngannou just COOKED Tyson Fury in the crowd at the presser 😳
When Joshua vs. Ngannou Takes Place & How to Watch Live Online
The fight takes place — unusually for a big-time match — on Friday, not Saturday.
The event begins at 13:00 p.m. Eastern / 10:00 a.m. Pacific, and airs on DAZN in the UK, US, and worldwide.
The pay-per-view costs $39.99.
Also on the card are the following fights:
- Zhilai Zhang vs. Joseph Parker — heavyweight
- Rey Vargas vs. Nick Ball — featherweight
- Israel Madrimov vs. Magomed Kurbanov — super welterweight
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Francis Ngannou Set to Double His Record $10 Million Payday: Report