Francis Ngannou Claims He Lost $1 Million Due to UFC Sponsorship Restrictions

Luke Rockhold’s rant regarding fighter pay at the UFC 278 media day certainly seemed to catch Francis Ngannou’s attention.

The reigning UFC heavyweight champion took to Twitter to reveal that he lost $1 million in potential sponsorship money due to the promotion’s existing deal with a cryptocurrency platform. The UFC’s outfitting policy and and sponsorship restrictions prevented Ngannou from cashing in on a lucrative offer.

“Listening to Luke's interview was very pertinent. A lot of things that nobody is talking about it and the company just rolls with it,” Ngannou wrote. “Fighters are ripped off with sponsorship. It’s a huge source of revenue for us but the company keeps exploiting that for their own benefit.

“I understand that the sport needs to look good with uniforms but we should at least have a right for a minimum of [two] approved sponsors for in the octagon,” he added. Last year I lost a deal of over a million dollars from a crypto exchange because the partnership with CRYPTO.COM. What do I [get] from it?”

Ngannou has been at odds with the UFC regarding the terms of his contract since before his title defense against Ciryl Gane in January. Ngannou has been recovering from knee surgery since that bout and isn’t expected to return until early next year. After besting Gane at UFC 270, Ngannou revealed that his issues with the promotion go beyond money.

“It’s not simply money,” Ngannou said at the UFC 270 post-fight press conference. “Obviously, money is a part of it, but it’s also the terms of the contract that I don’t agree with.

“I don’t feel like it’s fair. I don’t feel like I’m a free man. I don’t feel like I’ve been treated good. It’s unfortunate that I have to be in this position, that I have to say that. I feel like everyone should have the right to claim for what’s best for them. At the end of the day, we put a lot of work for this job and we take a lot on our body to make it happen, so we can have a fair and square deal.”

Listening to Luke's interview was very pertinent.
A lot of things that nobody is talking about it and the company just rolls with it.

— Francis Ngannou (@francis_ngannou) August 17, 2022

Fighters are ripped off with Sponsorship. It’s a huge source of revenue for us but the company keeps exploiting that for their own benefit.

— Francis Ngannou (@francis_ngannou) August 17, 2022

I understand that the sport needs to look good with uniforms but we should at least have a right for a minimum of 2 approved sponsors for in the octagon.

— Francis Ngannou (@francis_ngannou) August 17, 2022

Last year I lost a deal of over a million dollars from a crypto exchange because the partnership with CRYPTO .COM
What do I got from it ?

— Francis Ngannou (@francis_ngannou) August 17, 2022

Inflation is up

— Francis Ngannou (@francis_ngannou) August 17, 2022