Explaining the Ngannou & UFC contract situation, and Dana's white approach

[Cooliox]

Going through some threads, there seems to be some confusion about this.

Ngannou is ALREADY out of contract. He fought his last fight on contract, against Gane. The UFC have not been willing to offer Ngannou the kind of money that he wants in order for him to stay, and hence Ngannou has not re-signed with the UFC.

However, there is a 'championship' clause that automatically extends the contract for 1 year (or for 3 fights - whichever comes first). This gives the UFC time to renegotiate with their champion, without having their champion rush off to fight for someone else right away.

"At the expiration of the Term, Fighter is then a UFC champion, the Term shall automatically be extended for the period commencing on the Termination Date and ending on the earlier of (i) one (1) year from the Termination Date; or (ii) the date on which Fighter has participated in three (3) bouts promoted by ZUFFA, regardless of weight class or title, following the Termination Date ("Extension Term")."

The extension clause expires in 1 year. Ngannou's management have executed their chess move brilliantly. Knowing that Dana would use the 1 year to bury Ngannou's name, like he does with everyone else - especially with the "Ngannou doesn't want to fight" move that Dana has used on GSP, Jones, and others... during their negotiations.

This way, Ngannou comes off as courageous - for fighting injured against Gane... and now has to get surgery.
Being out for 9 months means by the time he is healed, the extension clause is expired. Dana can't power play against his injured champ. So, Dana went for the management instead "We're going to get the deal done, we're going to meet and get it done". (Dana made this public comment)

Since Dana cannot attack Ngannou directly, Dana will attack Ngannou's management and make it seem like they are being greedy, and being unreasonable... and that he has already done everything he can to make this deal happen- Dana will probably say something like "you won't believe the amount of money we offered him. it's unheard of"... all to make it SEEM like Ngannou simply doesn't want to compromise.

How do we know this? Because Dana has consistently done the same thing for over a decade to his fighters. They ether roll over, or he buries them in front of the media.

Most recently, being the case of Islam where Islam volunteered to step up on short notice to fight RDA.
Islam had a stipulation for the fight that Dana didn't agree to - perhaps more money, for the risk he's taking to save a card on short notice?? That's not turning down a fight, that's having a condition for the fight. Dana is the one who turned it down. But nevertheless, fans are turning on Islam, who has also lost his title shot in the process.

This simply has always been the unfortunate case for fighters who don't give in to Dana White's authority.

 

[nhbfan8080]

Going through some threads, there seems to be some confusion about this.

Ngannou is ALREADY out of contract. He fought his last fight on contract, against Gane. The UFC have not been willing to offer Ngannou the kind of money that he wants in order for him to stay, and hence Ngannou has not re-signed with the UFC.

However, there is a 'championship' clause that automatically extends the contract for 1 year (or for 3 fights - whichever comes first). This gives the UFC time to renegotiate with their champion, without having their champion rush off to fight for someone else right away.
..........

So if Ngannou was healthy, the 'championship clause' means that his pay would remain the same more or less for his 1yr/3 fight extension?

 

[Morning Star]

Good write up. Just like to add Dana already attacked the manager who is a CAA agent, which is probably considered WME's biggest rival, but also very credible.

https://mmajunkie.usatoday.com/2021...ancis-ngannou-manager-incompetent-blackballed

Just glad to see someone finally stand up to the UFC's bullshit, and doing it smartly.

 

[HHJ]

Thats the Dana way,for sure. We seen it time and time again.

 

[Istryker]

Wait so it’s likely that Ngannou never competes in the UFC again??

 

[Istryker]

Man that just bummed me out ):

 

[Chagaev]

Pretty much what Gane said.

 

[spinup]

Money alone isn't what is blocking the negociations. Actually Ngannou said their last offer was OK financially.

Ngannou wants a contract that doesn't give the UFC all the power and no responsibility.
He wants guaranteed activity and compensation if the UFC fails to honor that.
He wants to no be locked in an endless or excessively long contract.
He also wants to have a boxing fight (that's the least realistic demand imo).
Maybe he is also asking for things like health insurance, it's not clear but he mentioned it.

 

[HerpDerp]

Loretta exposed Dana's shady ways, many many years ago.

Wasn't Loretta's article about the UFC not letting managers go backstage with the fighters?

I would hardly consider that a shady practice to begin with when you compare it to all the actual shady shit they've pulled off over the years.

 

[Cooliox]

Good write up. Just like to add Dana already attacked the manager who is a CAA agent, which is probably considered WME's biggest rival, but also very credible.

https://mmajunkie.usatoday.com/2021...ancis-ngannou-manager-incompetent-blackballed

Just glad to see someone finally stand up to the UFC's bullshit, and doing it smartly.

Thanks for sharing this.

Seems Dana already has a grudge for Ngannou's managers, who have remained professional through out all this.

Perhaps things will get ugly...

 

[Cooliox]

So if Ngannou was healthy, the 'championship clause' means that his pay would remain the same more or less for his 1yr/3 fight extension?

Yes, basically the old contract extends itself for 1 year (or for 3 fights).

This is what Randy Couture tried to fight in court... he wanted to leave and fight Fedor.

I believe there was no '1 year' limit to the extension back then- I believe this was rectified and added when Cung Le sued the UFC, to prevent further lawsuits.

Thank you Cung Le

 

[Luthien]

I would hardly consider that a shady practice to begin with when you compare it to all the actual shady hoot they've pulled off over the years.

You're right

 

[Uncertainly Principled]

Is that champion's clause from a contract made after 2017? Thought there was some Cali law change that meant new contracts had different language

Can't find confirmation, but that language is so heavily slanted to the UFC's benefit that it verges on illegal ... the idea that a champion who keeps winning has no legal options but to keep fighting or retire from combat sports is fundamentally fucked up & definitely challengeable in court.

With Francis being backed by CAA, who not only have the resources but also the incentives to engage in a legal battle with the UFC/WME, I think that's what's leading to Francis potentially being freely "released" = the UFC/WME willing to take the L on Francis to ensure their contracts aren't challenged & that whole can of worms gets opened.

EDIT: If that "one year" element is the only addition to the old contracts I'd say it's definitely that the UFC doesn't want to open that can of worms

 

[MCS]

Thanks for the info about the champ clause. It's a good time for him to be injured.

But if Ngannou's management, CAA, sees value in a big boxing fight Ngannou won't fight in the UFC again. Because the UFC will offer him less money than what his management will say he is worth. It's a rinse and repeat process. The UFC's business model isn't geared towards the fighter. What they offer will stay less than the "potential".

And then, yes, "he didn't want to fight" will come.

 

[Kumason]

Wait so it’s likely that Ngannou never competes in the UFC again??

Man that just bummed me out ):

 

[Cooliox]

Thanks for the info about the champ clause. It's a good time for him to be injured.

But if Ngannou's management, CAA, sees value in a big boxing fight Ngannou won't fight in the UFC again. Because the UFC will offer him less money than what his management will say he is worth. It's a rinse and repeat process. The UFC's business model isn't geared towards the fighter. What they offer will stay less than the "potential".

And then, yes, "he didn't want to fight" will come.

The UFC offers a "potential" larger sum, where there is no guarantee...

I think this was brought up during the Bellator matching of the UFC's offer for Eddie Alvarez - Bjorn Rebney opted to match Dana's offer. Eddie said he was being screwed here because he was set to make millions in the UFC.

Bellator refuted, claiming that "potential ppv earnings" hold no ground, and the Bellator hence did technically "match" UFC's offer for GUARANTEED pay.

So that's what likely will happen here - UFC will offer something like an 8 fight contract, with about 2 million guaranteed each, with the option to double it if Ngannou wins (win bonus), and then added PPV incentives IF Ngannou can draw a certain amount, and only if he remains champion since that is what usually kicks in the PPV bonus, unless negotiated otherwise.

So, Dana can say that Ngannou turned down a "$50 million" offer... But in truth nothing is guaranteed beyond $2millon a fight, and that too the 8 fights are not guaranteed since the UFC routinely releases people before the contracted amount of fights are up - They even released ANDERSON SILVA when Anderson had only ONE FIGHT left on contract...

Dana tried to make it out as if Anderson didn't belong in the cage anymore... despite perhaps winning that fight and being competitive against Hall up till the KO.

So, Dana can essentially 'release' you halfway into your contract, but you simply cannot ask for more... and if you "retire" then the contract is frozen, and even if you complete your contract like Ngannou has done, and you happen to be champion, then there's an automatic extension, followed by character assassination if you don't play ball and re-sign.

 

[MCS]

The UFC offers a "potential" larger sum, where there is no guarantee...

I think this was brought up during the Bellator matching of the UFC's offer for Eddie Alvarez - Bjorn Rebney opted to match Dana's offer. Eddie said he was being screwed here because he was set to make millions in the UFC.

Bellator refuted, claiming that "potential ppv earnings" hold no ground, and the Bellator hence did technically "match" UFC's offer for GUARANTEED pay.

So that's what likely will happen here - UFC will offer something like an 8 fight contract, with about 2 million guaranteed each, with the option to double it if Ngannou wins (win bonus), and then added PPV incentives IF Ngannou can draw a certain amount, and only if he remains champion since that is what usually kicks in the PPV bonus, unless negotiated otherwise.

So, Dana can say that Ngannou turned down a "$50 million" offer... But in truth nothing is guaranteed beyond $2millon a fight, and that too the 8 fights are not guaranteed since the UFC routinely releases people before the contracted amount of fights are up - They even released ANDERSON SILVA when Anderson had only ONE FIGHT left on contract...

Dana tried to make it out as if Anderson didn't belong in the cage anymore... despite perhaps winning that fight and being competitive against Hall up till the KO.

So, Dana can essentially 'release' you halfway into your contract, but you simply cannot ask for more... and if you "retire" then the contract is frozen, and even if you complete your contract like Ngannou has done, and you happen to be champion, then there's an automatic extension, followed by character assassination if you don't play ball and re-sign.

Yes, I think they'll offer such a contract, or have already, as there was a report some time ago about, I think, 7,5 mil. Could be 3 fights, could be 5, who knows, doesn't matter that much. And then they'll offer more next time.

But the problem with that is CAA vs IMG. Ngannou's management will tell him he "can", "potentially", as in it could be a pipe dream if the boxing match never materializes, get 20, 30 or more millions in one night. That is the carrot. Ngannou wants to box, it's his dream, and wants to make more money, given his age. So, it's an easy sell. You "could" make this, so don't sign that.

If there's a rivalry between agencies a compromise is difficult to achieve. And the boxing money for boxers and Conor is real. The possibility. So unless the UFC can arrange such a boxing match and still manage to pay Ngannou I don't think he'll sign another UFC contract. Maybe after such a boxing match happens. Who knows. And that boxing match could also never happen. So trusting your career in the hands of a manager can lead to bad things. Dana will say his usual stuff as always after that.

 

[spinup]

If there's a rivalry between agencies a compromise is difficult to achieve. And the boxing money for boxers and Conor is real. The possibility. So unless the UFC can arrange such a boxing match and still manage to pay Ngannou I don't think he'll sign another UFC contract. Maybe after such a boxing match happens. Who knows. And that boxing match could also never happen. So trusting your career in the hands of a manager can lead to bad things. Dana will say his usual stuff as always after that.

The fairy tale scenario would be that Ngannou decline to renew, gets a boxing fight deal early 2023, and then signs back to the UFC.
The risk is that Ngannnou gets played for leverage by boxers and promoters and wastes months negociating a boxing fights that will never happen.

 

[Cooliox]

Yes, I think they'll offer such a contract, or have already, as there was a report some time ago about, I think, 7,5 mil. Could be 3 fights, could be 5, who knows, doesn't matter that much. And then they'll offer more next time.

But the problem with that is CAA vs IMG. Ngannou's management will tell him he "can", "potentially", as in it could be a pipe dream if the boxing match never materializes, get 20, 30 or more millions in one night. That is the carrot. Ngannou wants to box, it's his dream, and wants to make more money, given his age. So, it's an easy sell. You "could" make this, so don't sign that.

If there's a rivalry between agencies a compromise is difficult to achieve. And the boxing money for boxers and Conor is real. The possibility. So unless the UFC can arrange such a boxing match and still manage to pay Ngannou I don't think he'll sign another UFC contract. Maybe after such a boxing match happens. Who knows. And that boxing match could also never happen. So trusting your career in the hands of a manager can lead to bad things. Dana will say his usual stuff as always after that.

You're absolutely right. The bout against Tyson Fury isn't guaranteed yet, but it's absolutely something Fury is aiming for strongly.

He even suggested that it would be the biggest PPV ever. Not to mention, that fight could net Ngannou around $50Million... which will likely be more than anything the UFC offers him COMBINED for 7 fights or so.

Like you said, if the UFC is willing to sign a deal which allows Ngannoou to go box, then that's a different story.

I highly doubt Ngannou is interested in that though. He would likely want to box Tyson Fury first, then take it from there.

And after? I don't know. Dana is one to hold grudges... Dana was even willing to miss out on Khabib VS GSP superfight, over his ego.

Dana simply didn't want GSP to fight for a belt no matter what, after Dana got out-played by GSP... in a game that Dana himself started. GSP was a great company man, and great ambassador for the sport.

GOOD just seems to piss Dana off. Not exactly sure why.

 

[Ruthless Ryan]

I really think the boxing thing will be the roadblock. Yes Conor did it and everyone has been calling out boxers since. It causes grief especially if a champ does it as it could hold up the belt for years...and then more fighters will continue the "me too" when it comes to contracts. Not to mention having Ngannou getting tooled and humiliated by Fury or any other boxer isnt good for his "brand".