Would you resign Francis?

[JustOnce]

Just curious, if you were Dana, would you resign Francis?

I mean, if Francis will only sign the contract if he's allowed to box?

Francis will get absolutely humiliated in boxing ring, which wouldn't be great PR for UFC.

Letting your best heavyweight walk wouldn't be a good PR either, but not sure which would be worse, because Ngannou is going to look worse than Askren against Fury. At least Askren had built in excuse if and when he looked bad.

I mean at first it's a simple yes, 100 percent yes, but if you take boxing into consideration, not sure if it's so simple.

 

[PrinceOfPain]

If he's going to box either way, why one Earth would they not sign him? He's still the last man to win their belt, and no one else in the division is going to convincingly step into his shoes as the HW champ without first beating him.

 

[JudoThrowFiasco]

Yeah he's the champ and number one ranked hw in the world who has highlight reel capabilities. Saying all that, depending on how that card sold + his last performance, it could make it easier to let him walk.

 

[Post 2 Decision]

Tell Ngannou you'll pay him 1 million per fight, and he's allowed 1 boxing match. If he wins the boxing match, he will be allowed to fight another boxing match. If he loses, though, his contract becomes 500k per fight and he's not permitted to box anymore.

 

[Fight Professor]

"resign" - voluntarily leave a job or other position

 

[wildchild88]

I have no idea how this will pan out.

If Dana lets Ngannou box and pays him a lot more, it would set a precedent for other fighters and cost the UFC much more across the business.

The UFC believe that their brand will always beat out individual fighters trying to go out on their own. I wouldn't be surprised if the UFC let him go. It would be bad publicity for the UFC though, as there is already such a spotlight on fighter pay, and it would further highlight their stubbornness and greed.

 

[jk7707]

The HW champion of your company? The real question should be: Why is this even a question?

 

[Adebisi]

I understand the reluctance, you don’t want the top fighter in the division with the biggest men to look weak against a fighter from a different “league”.

But it’s 2022, are fans really not educated enough to realize that boxing and mma are different sports? Would they actually look at Ngannou differently if he lost at a different sport?

Maybe not, I guess.

Conor’s popularity wasn’t negatively affected at all by losing to Floyd. I’m sure they could pay Fury a little extra on the side to let Ngannou live until later in the fight to make it look more respectable(like Floyd did).

 

[HeDidn'tWantTheFight]

Dana's not paying Francis because Dana loses his shit when a fighter says no to him.

Francis should've already been extended with a pay increase and a clause that allows him to take one boxing match that I can co promote as long as he fights in the UFC once during the same year it goes down.

 

[CroCopsLHK]

I thinks he's got to. He just soundly beat Cyril (imo) and it's too anticlimactic not having him defend again. But with Dana's ego he will probably let him go and get a new title fight

 

[DarkneT]

Just curious, if you were Dana, would you resign Francis?

I mean, if Francis will only sign the contract if he's allowed to box?

Francis will get absolutely humiliated in boxing ring, which wouldn't be great PR for UFC.

Letting your best heavyweight walk wouldn't be a good PR either, but not sure which would be worse, because Ngannou is going to look worse than Askren against Fury. At least Askren had built in excuse if and when he looked bad.

I mean at first it's a simple yes, 100 percent yes, but if you take boxing into consideration, not sure if it's so simple.

Bro..

he’s talking about boxing for leverage he ain’t ever gonna box

 

[JustOnce]

Bro..

he’s talking about boxing for leverage he ain’t ever gonna box

I think he thinks he can box Fury AND get paid.

 

[Carrotman23]

Connor got smoked by Floyd and no one cared . It wouldn't be bad PR at all if Francis lost a boxing match it would just be a good pay day for him . The main reason Tyson vs Francis might not be made is because the UFC dosnt want to work with Top Rank because Bob Arum and Dana beef( they deserve each other).
And yeah I'm of course id resign Francis . This shouldn't even be a question unless your a cheap asshole like Dana White and cohort.

 

[Bojka]

Probably yes because he doesn't want another promotion having the best HW.

If Ngannou left the UFC he would probably sign with Bellator with the option to also compete in boxing. Having Ngannou would do a lot for Bellator.

 

[Chagaev]

I don't know.

If he's allowed to box and gets starched badly while having the belt, it might look worse for UFC than let him loose and building a new champion.

 

[DarkneT]

I think he thinks he can box Fury AND get paid.

He can get paid yeah.

 

[Local Plata]

Connor got smoked by Floyd and no one cared . It wouldn't be bad PR at all if Francis lost a boxing match it would just be a good pay day for him . The main reason Tyson vs Francis might not be made is because the UFC dosnt want to work with Top Rank because Bob Arum and Dana beef( they deserve each other).
And yeah I'm of course id resign Francis . This shouldn't even be a question unless your a cheap asshole like Dana White and cohort.

Conor fangirls are a different thing though, they are tuning in for any other fights. Francis fans are still MMA fans. Conor fans are not MMA fans, they are first and foremost IG fangirl dickriders, so no amount of losses or bad PR will hurt Conor fights. Francis doesn't enjoy the same luxury.

 

[Carrotman23]

Conor fangirls are a different thing though, they are tuning in for any other fights. Francis fans are still MMA fans. Conor fans are not MMA fans, they are first and foremost IG fangirl dickriders, so no amount of losses or bad PR will hurt Conor fights. Francis doesn't enjoy the same luxury.

True but if anything MMA fans should be able to realize Francis losing a boxing match against Fury wouldn't tarnish his MMA legacy at all.

 

[Bouboumaster]

How can Dana NOT resign the HW champion lol?

What's the alternative? Let him go to Bellator?

Plus, it would be terrible PR. "Dana White prefer paying slavery wages and letting the HW champion go to the competition over paying him" isn't a good headline