Welcome to Midnight Mania!
Francis Ngannou is officially 0-1 since leaving the UFC, yet “The Predator” just keeps winning.
When it was announced that Ngannou was pursuing free agency outside of the Octagon, his decision was met with a fair amount of criticism. He was accused of ducking Jon Jones, ruining his legacy, and, of course, fumbling the bag. Then, he signed an absolutely massive contract with Professional Fighters League (PFL), knocked down Tyson Fury, and made many millions of dollars in the process. Oh yeah, another big Saudi Arabian paycheck awaits when he squares off versus Anthony Joshua in March.
former sand miner, and there certainly isn’t a fumbled bag in sight.
In fact, Ngannou’s business savvy and willingness to bet on himself are now the subject of a new Harvard Business School case study. According to its author, Harvard professor Anita Elberse, Ngannou’s manager Marquel Martin was instrumental in making it happen — the very same manager that UFC threatened to sue!
Francis Ngannou reacted to the case study announcement by tweeting, “The business of sport” accompanied by a sunglasses and chess emoji.
If and when excerpts from the study and financial numbers release online, expect to find them right here.
pic.twitter.com/aXqZM57jBP
— Andy Hickey MMA (@AndyHickeyMMA) January 13, 2024
Saudi Arabia turning down UFC Apex-esque fights and forcing the card to be delayed is already the funniest story of the year.
A flash from the past!
#UFC297 pic.twitter.com/AtzyM52ktj
— Championship Rounds (@ChampRDS) January 15, 2024