PFL Did Francis N'gannou Hit PFL With the Ole'Scam?

[WoozyFailGuy]

• Gets amazing contract allowing him to box while fighting MMA and stipulates PFL create an African division
• Doesn't even show up to the first two PFL Africa events even though he is the Chairman of PFL Africa and made an enormous deal out of it
• In 2.5 years he fought once against Renan selling 10,000 PPVs
• Cited the biggest reason he left the UFC was a lack of respect, has made Donn Davis look like an abject moron, very disrespectful!
• Rumored Frank is going to fight Deontay Wilder in his third boxing foray, arguable that Francis hasn't done even the bare minimum at most from his end
• Frank still gets a monthly check even though he doesn't fight since he has corporate positions, they're having to pay him to continue fleecing them.

Guys...was...was Dana right about Francis?

Doof Davis upset at Nganou for no-showing PFL Africa

John McCarthy says the PFL should get rid of Francis Ngannou’s heavyweight division​

‘Big’ John McCarthy was brutally honest in his assessment of the PFL heavyweight division.

McCarthy, the third man in the Octagon for many legendary fights, says it’s time for the PFL to cut ties with their heavyweight roster and add a men’s flyweight division (125 lbs) to make up for it.

“It’s a glamour division with no talent,” McCarthy said of the PFL heavyweight division on the Weighing In Podcast (last clip of the video).
“Let’s just be honest, okay? Why do you have it?” McCarthy continued.

“You have the ability to put in a flyweight division. You finally put in the bantamweights. Way to go. That was a smart thing. You’ve got some really good, talented people in that. Open up the 125 pound division. Take the heavyweights. Get rid of it,” McCarthy said, adding the UFC’s heavyweight division isn’t much better.

"The UFC’s, their whole lineup, it’s just not that good…You can take a look at the PFL’s lineup. Yes, Francis is a good fighter,” McCarthy admitted.

"Yes, Vadim [Nemkov] is a good fighter. You got a couple in there. [Valentin] Moldavsky is good. [Denis] Goltsov just got beat by a light heavyweight [by] Corey Anderson…"

“Get rid of it. All it does is cost you way more money than it’s worth for your promotion. Get rid of the heavyweights, put in all the other weight classes, have 125, 35, 45, 55. You’ll have it all the way to 205,” McCarthy suggested.



Is Big John right? Should PFL just scrap their entire heavyweight "division" and admit the Francis experiment didn't work?
Sounds reasonable to me, while keeping PFL Africa since you're the first to step foot from the international promotions and already laid out the infrastructure.

We might be in for quite the disappointing ending to the lineal Heavyweight Belt, fellow karate forum nerds.

 

[Fight Professor]

No MMA fighters seriously continue their MMA careers after big boxing or WWE contracts.

 

[WoozyFailGuy]

No MMA fighters seriously continue their MMA careers after big boxing or WWE contracts.

Financial freedom kills drive I suppose. Devil's advocate: Most of them go into WWE/boxing towards the tail end of their careers, but McGoober is the exception to that and the worst case we can think of. He was still in his prime, changed his entire stance, training methodology, lifestyle, everything and got the brakes beat off him.

Millions make men meek!

 

[volcom5]

Screw Ngannou, he literally ruined countless fighters careers.

 

[TCE]

Yeah, Ngannou fucked over PFL big time. I'm not mad, because Davis is an idiot, but Ngannou seems to be a bit of a scam artist.

"“You have to ask Francis [why he was not present],” PFL chairman Donn Davis told ESPN following the event. “I’m not going to hide it - I expected him. This is part of his vision: so that all those fighters out there don’t have to leave the continent like he did. We worked for two years. I’m direct and say what I think. I’m disappointed.”

 

[TheBrownRanger]

God, John McCarthy's "solution" for the PFL is so retarded. Getting rid of HWs to make room for a generally unmarketable weight class is such a non-solution to the PFLs problems.

Bellator and WSOF tried doing flyweight already. Nobody cared. It only works in the top promotion and in Asia. If you want flyweight, wait out Francis, cut the bush leagues, and trim the fat on the roster.

Anyways, anybody paying attention saw that Ngannou was not the savior of MMA fighters like a lot fans thought he was. Not surprised. The PFL stayed practically the same when he signed. No insurance, no sponsors for fighters, nothing. Him and Jake Paul fucked the PFL.

 

[Pancake Sprawl]

it sucks, but didn't Ngannou just KILL SOMEONE? i'm going to guess that's kind of a major fucking thing that has been consuming his time right now.

 

[TheBrownRanger]

it sucks, but didn't Ngannou just KILL SOMEONE? i'm going to guess that's kind of a major fucking thing that has been consuming his time right now.

He looked fine at the Usman/Buckley weigh ins.

 

[SuspectChin]

it sucks, but didn't Ngannou just KILL SOMEONE? i'm going to guess that's kind of a major fucking thing that has been consuming his time right now.

 

[Pancake Sprawl]

He looked fine at the Usman/Buckley weigh ins.

View attachment 1108053

fair enough, fuck'em lmao

 

[Thesnake101]

Calling Moldavsky good in 2025 is crazy.

 

[Only Here for Attachments]

Franci$ has been nothing but a net loss for PFL

 

[TITS]

Big John is a moron. No one cares about the midget flyweight division, but let's get rid of HW and replace it with FLW. Good idea, jackass.

 

[WoozyFailGuy]

Big John is a moron. No one cares about the midget flyweight division, but let's get rid of HW and replace it with FLW. Good idea, jackass.

God, John McCarthy's "solution" for the PFL is so retarded. Getting rid of HWs to make room for a generally unmarketable weight class is such a non-solution to the PFLs problems.

Bellator and WSOF tried doing flyweight already. Nobody cared. It only works in the top promotion and in Asia. If you want flyweight, wait out Francis, cut the bush leagues, and trim the fat on the roster.

Anyways, anybody paying attention saw that Ngannou was not the savior of MMA fighters like a lot fans thought he was. Not surprised. The PFL stayed practically the same when he signed. No insurance, no sponsors for fighters, nothing. Him and Jake Paul fucked the PFL.

I agree as a long time fight fan. Even in a slop era, HW is still HW.

 

[NicholasJBasile]

I don't know Francis personally, but his child passed away and shortly after he was in a tragic accident when someone passed away. I would venture to guess these unfortunate incidents have something to do with his inactivity in MMA.

 

[David Street]

Dana is right about him, but still want Dana to take him back. Sorry Dana.

 

[CC27]

He def fleeced them. Fought once costing them a ton of money which was a money loser for the org and then doesnt even give a shit about PFL Africa, its a title in name only to collect a paycheck.

He got that Chuck/UFC deal when PFL thought they were getting Forrest, who actually showed up for a paycheck and worked.

In truth it never made any sense for PFL to sign him, really didnt. Him and UFC should have worked it out, UFC should have let him try boxing and take a piece of it and Jones fight would have gotten done. We'd have gotten him vs Jones and Tom and UFC would get a piece of Fury and Joshua fights.

Really would have worked for everyone but what happened happened.

 

[leto1776]

I don't know Francis personally, but his child passed away and shortly after he was in a tragic accident when someone passed away. I would venture to guess these unfortunate incidents have something to do with his inactivity in MMA.

He was with Usman for his recent fight. Went to fight week and everything

 

[NicholasJBasile]

He was with Usman for his recent fight. Went to fight week and everything

I'm aware

 

[ChrisBenoit]

Francis isn't a good person. Dana said so himself