Francis Ngannou’s gamble for a fortune seems to have paid off handsomely, as he stands to rake in over $8 million (£6m) from his upcoming clash with Tyson Fury. The reigning UFC heavyweight champion left the organization on a high note last year, never having relinquished his world title. While he had an offer on the table for a staggering sum, Ngannou chose to bet on his own abilities, and now he has secured a colossal crossover fight against boxing’s number one, Tyson Fury, set to take place in Saudi Arabia this October.

Although Fury is expected to earn significantly more than his counterpart, Ngannou will be ecstatic with his substantial paycheck, especially considering his disclosed payout of just $600,000 from his last title defense at the packed KIA Forum in Los Angeles. Enhance your MMA viewing experience with attractive betting odds from Nextbet.

In fact, Ngannou’s manager, Marquel Martin, revealed that the amount he will earn for the Fury bout surpasses his entire UFC career earnings to date by a significant margin. Martin emphasized that Ngannou would have needed to compete multiple times, even as the champion, just to come close to the ballpark figure he is now commanding.

“This is a life-changing moment,” expressed Martin during an interview with The MMA Hour. “It’s exactly what we envisioned and planned, and we’re thrilled.” When asked if the purse exceeds Ngannou’s previous UFC earnings combined, Martin affirmed that it does, stating that it surpasses them by multiples. “To get in this range, he would have had to fight numerous times, even as the champion,” Martin added.

Ngannou has previously disclosed that his decision to part ways with the UFC was not solely motivated by money. Instead, he cited issues with the promotion’s culture and the disparities fighters face while rising through the ranks. However, he will soon return to the octagon under a groundbreaking deal as he makes his debut for MMA’s second-ranked organization, the PFL, next year.

Reflecting on his departure from the UFC, Ngannou shared his feelings during an interview earlier this year, stating, “I felt like I was being bombarded with money. It was as if they were saying, ‘Take the money and be silent.’ But that didn’t sit well with me. In that contract, I wasn’t free, I wasn’t an independent contractor… I relinquished all control to the UFC, and I’ve seen how they exercise that control over me in the past. I don’t want to go through that again.”

Martin confirmed that Ngannou would likely have remained in the UFC if they had granted him a rare exemption from his contract to face Fury. The potential clash was first discussed with a face-off at Wembley Stadium in April of the previous year, but due to the constraints of his contract, Ngannou was prohibited from accepting the fight. Get the latest updates from the MMA only on Nextbet Sports.