UFC’s middleweight champion Israel Adesanya believes that UFC and Francis Ngannou will reach an agreement. He believes that fighter pay needs to be improved.
Adesanya disproved the notion that Ngannou’s UFC status was responsible for his new contract. This could mean Ngannou will be a free agent at the end of the year. Adesanya praised his team for completing the deal but used his own situation to show how things were changing in favor of his coworker.
” “Like I said before, this is just the beginning,” Adesanya stated at UFC 271’s post-fight press conference following his win over Robert Whittaker. “[UFC President] Dana [White] already said they had dinner with him before he went back to Cameroon, they’re going to have dinner when they come back.
“People make mistakes. The UFC’s filled with humans, humans make mistakes. Human error. But we can always amend those mistakes, and honestly, rising tides lifts all the ships. This is my first step towards the trickle down effect on the other fighters, lifting everybody up .”
Adesanya didn’t include a number on the new contract. His management would say that the deal would make him one of the most highly-paid fighters. Adesanya said his negotiations “don’t need to be brought forth, because every case is different.” But he applauded Ngannou for talking frankly about the contract minimum paid to step in the octagon, reportedly a $600,000 “show purse” to fight Ciryl Gane at UFC 270.
“With Francis’ case, he needed to bring that forward because it was atrocious, and I respect him for that,” Adesanya said.
If any situation needs more attention, the middleweight champ said it’s the fighters on the bottom of the UFC’s totem pole. UFC 271 wasn’t just a show for Adesanya but also several of his fellow teammates from City Kickboxing in New Zealand such as Mike Mathetha (also called Blood Diamond) or Carlos Ulberg. The gym boasts no less than eight UFC fighters and, in the wake of Adesanya and others’ success, has become a marquee name in the world of MMA.
Adesanya encouraged his team at all times before and during the fight, saying that up-and coming fighters deserve a raise.
“I’m not saying, like, pay the [debuting fighters] some crazy money,” he said. “No, just pay them enough to train, feed their family and actually not have a second or third job. Because we’re UFC fighters. This company is my favorite. I have always wanted to join this organization.
“I wanted to be here for so long, so now that I’m here, I’m fortune to be in the position I’m in to sign this new deal, but the UFC’s going to do right. I feel like this is the first step. Francis started it off, and I’m getting my dues as well. But trust me, it wasn’t just handed to me. … It’s just not brought to the media, so you guys can go write headlines about it. It’s our fight for what is best, and it seems like that will continue to flow down to other fighters, because it’s just time. “
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