Club Shay Shay - Francis Ngannou Part 1

Episode Date: December 6, 2023

Francis Ngannou delivers a knockout episode on Club Shay Shay, going toe-to-toe with Shannon Sharpe. The punches aren't just in the ring – Francis is throwing verbal jabs, expressing his desire to take on heavyweight giants Deontay Wilder, Anthony Joshua and rematch with Tyson Fury. He takes a swing at UFC contracts and Dana White, revealing some behind-the-octagon heat. Francis also says he would fight Jon Jones. #Volume #HerdSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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Who would you be looking in the heavyweight division to fight next? Right now, I want a rematch with Tyson. He took me a little lightly, so he might come next time very heavy. Sacrifice, muscle paid the price Want a slice, got the rolling dice That's why all my life I've been grinding all my life Hello, welcome to another special edition of Club Che Che on the Road. I am your host, Shannon Sharp. I'm also the proprietor of Club Che Che. And the guy that's stopping by for conversation on a drink,

well, we have nothing to drink, so just a conversation today, is one of the scariest heavyweights on the planet. He holds the record for the hardest punch ever recorded by the Guinness Book of World Records He's a former UFC heavyweight champion of the world a top 10 ranked WBC boxing heavyweight contender one of the baddest men on the planet I just nicknamed him the Cameroonian conquistador. You know the conquistador you know, that's someone looking to conquer new territory Conquistador. You know what a conquistador is? No. That's someone looking to conquer new territory.

Ah, okay. Conquistador. The Predator, Francis Ngannou. How you doing, bro? I'm doing good, sure. Man, thanks for stopping by, man. How you been? I've been good. You know, been popping my little way. How have your life changed? See, we're going to give you credit for the win because everybody

believed that you won the fight. You got outlanded in total punches, but you threw the harder power shots. You knocked him down, something that some of the other former heavyweights in boxing has been unable to do. So what's going through your mind? You land this punch. Did you think he was going to get up? Did you think you had won the fight? Oh, yeah.

Yeah. Going up into that fight, I was very prepared. I know how tough he is. You know, I have seen him almost dead and come back. So I wasn't going there to knock him out. You know, I'm like, okay, whatever happened. Because usually when you think somebody is going to stay down and then he comes up, that takes something out of you.

You know, like I didn't want to have odd kind of like hope uh empty hope so i'm like this fight is going to the decision right you know and um during the entire fight i was just thinking to uh to the 10 of the 10 on the 10 round like don't overdo don't find the big the big punch right just keep the pace. And that's how I do. Did you think you could win a decision over a heavyweight champion or did you feel you needed to knock him out? Did you think you could get a decision? Yeah, I believe in it.

I mean, that's why I train. I train for 10 rounds. I mean, to get there and get in the 10th round, and in the 10th round, I feel like I was even more fresh than he was you know I was very prepared I mean I'm going into a sport that I'm there on the dock even massive on the dock because that was my first boxing match and I'm going again the best in the world so I was I better be prepared right and uh couldn't just count on punches power punch because he's good at uh counting deviating punch so i wasn't looking for punches

at all like i was so scared like to put power and get tired right my main thing was not to get tired right before him right yeah and see that's what i'm saying because you are such a massive underdog had you won that fight that would have been the biggest upset in heavyweight history that's bigger than than buster douglas and mike tyson that's bigger than any other heavyweight fight that might have been the biggest because like you said you never had a fight a boxing match before and you steps into the ring with the undisputed heavyweight champion of the world and you beat him and that's um that's why i like at some point even i get frustrated of the decision but i understand that there is a system right and you can just uh not just be like

a uh a single wolf and just come and take the system down like that I I've been into this business a little while to understand that he works so I knew even before the fight that if we get to that point I don't have so many chance right right but you know I wanted to prove my point I wanted to prove that I can vote also for me he was a good experience to feel it, to get there. I'm like, OK, I get this. How do I feel in the fifth round, in the sixth round, in the eighth round? You know, all those stuff and holding and understand the game against one of the best ever do it. You know, so he was very important for me.

So at the end of the day, like after that that fight regardless of the decision, I was too happy. I feel very satisfied and Yeah, feel like I have I took a lot of a lot from them than what they took From me what gave you the confidence considering that you had never boxed professionally, that you can get into the ring, and I don't think you stepped into the ring thinking like, okay, I'm going to have a good showing. I think you stepped into the ring believing you could beat Tyson Fury. Of course. What gave you the confidence?

You had never been in a boxing match before. Life is not always about theory. If life was about theory, I would have never been here okay you know I wasn't mean to be here and yet I am so you get to the point that you realize like it's not about like the experience and everything like you understand that something's something going on right like if I if I walk to the bar and see a guy that is drunk and coming after me, this guy never been in the gym. I step back first to watch what his move.

I don't sit there and say, oh, I'm a professional fighter. No, I step back because if that guy took a land, you might find yourself taking a nap. Right. land you might find yourself uh have taken a nap so at the end of the day regardless of like boxing technique and everything is two men fighting right and i believe that i'm a man enough to stand in front of other men even though i have a little i have a little bit of less experience and a disadvantage but um i know that i'm a man and I can handle. You had Mike Tyson, who Tyson Fury is actually named after,

in your corner teaching you the ins and outs, the intricacies. So when you go into the, he's a big man, he's a massive man, I think he's 6'9", you're 6'5", you're the more muscular fighter, and you said, I just wanted to make sure I didn't get tired, so I didn't want to put too much into the punches and tire myself out yeah but you caught you you counter him and catch him with I think a left to the temple yeah did you see that opening did you could you tell like I think I can get him this is this is the moment no basically that was even a counter that wasn't something that I prepared but I saw that when he walked

at when he walked at me in the third round I think it was for him a moment to finish the fight kind of like okay we are done let's go home now because when the fight started he was like let's go to school and then we get to the third round he's acting like he's just gonna walk me down then I like, I'm not backing up. So I put my hand up and wait for him. And in order to push him, I have to counter and then he get caught at that moment. So you've, that he's like,

so what's going through your mind when you catch him? Do you like, man, I just put, I just put the hand. Not really nothing. I really, because he wasn't a strong parent So I know that he's gonna get out you didn't get your best. No, no I mean he was a purchase that even hit his shoulder first before he T's temple, but you catch him flush you believe you did the fights over if you don't glaze it if you don't glance his shoulder You catch him flush with that lip. You believe you put him down for just a

Everyone everybody will go down basically in the third round you're so fresh and now everyone will go down right in with a clean shirt right so so what was what was it like taking a punch from him because like you said I mean most of your some look in the UFC thec the guys i mean there's so many things that you got to watch for in boxing you're just looking for the hands now you jab the uppercut the hook body shots but in ufc you got to watch the knee or elbow or foot you got to watch all that and so most of the guys aren't punchers like you are now they can end the fight not heavyweight because you got body as you go up in 215 to 22 32 40 Guys get into nice minimal to 250. Okay

So what was it like taking a shot from from Tyson Fury? You got he has pretty good. I mean first of all, like even in the you know, MMA like there's all those punches from everywhere knee kick all new stuff But punches they are not so strong as boxer, you know, those guys have it in They have the speed they know how to throw it everything hit pretty good. I mean I it's a good shot. I'm like fuck But how do you ever gotten hit that hard in a UFC fight? I don't know. Yeah, I think so. Yeah, basically in the UFC is in in MMA it is four ounce gloves. Yeah That's a lot of knuckle though. Yeah

but Was pretty good shot. Right. I mean, it's good when you feel the punch, that means you're still up. But the fact that you took the punch and you kept coming forward and you didn't back down or you didn't retreat and give him confidence like, okay, he felt that power, now is my chance, is because you kept coming forward. I was there to fight and to win. Right.

I mean, and he's the champion. I have to go after him. Right. You know, I'm not going to sit down. I wasn't going there to count, you know, because, like, my game plan wasn't to count him or to survive. Right. My game plan was to fight and to win.

Right. You know, to dictate my own rule. That was the game plan. Okay. Like, I'm coming after you to win. Yeah, so in order to do that, I have to work. You go 12, you go 10 rounds. You're like, okay. You get back, so what are you thinking?

Do you think you won the fight? Yes, absolutely. Like right at that moment, i was fear of happiness right wish i wasn't even putting in perspective to fight how it goes i mean one again once again is my first fight right i'm much worried about one what is happening i very deterred of like okay don't do this don't let this happen how are you feeling are you going to be good at the 10th round and all those so i couldn't count at that moment you know i was just happy i was first happy that i made it uh there but i'm like i won right but again i prepared. I knew that when it goes to decision, like, it's going to be hard.

Yeah. So, at the end of the day, I wasn't surprised. The only thing is that it was quite obvious. You know, the difference was quite obvious. Right. There was a lot of, there was even a lot of things besides the decision that was kind of like, okay. Well, he hit you with an illegal elbow several times. He hit me with the elbow once.

At the beginning of the fight, the first contact, not even two seconds, the referee was like, break, break. You know, and from the moment that he started to initiate the contact on his own, then there wasn't a break anymore. At some point, I was like, okay, call out the break. And they wasn't a break anymore at some point I was like okay call out the break and there wasn't calling the break so everything was arranged for him to be comfortable you know I understand I was just a single

guy coming to take down the structure of a right I business when you look at it he's because he's such a mountain of a man, he normally leans on people and tires them out. But because of your stature, you were able to withstand some of the leaning on him and you didn't get tired. And I knew that.

I knew that very well. I watched him fight. Basically, his second fight against Deontay Wilder. I watched that very close. And by the fifth round dionte was like exhausted like i'm like and people i'm like oh he didn't train i'm like he did train but you don't understand like i mean even when tyson showed up i think it was uh 273 at the way in i'm like he's

gonna win 300 weigh him down like i knew right right? And that's exactly what he did. And so I was prepared on that. I worked a lot on my leg. I still worked some wrestling stuff. So I was prepared. Well, you acquitted yourself very well. So when you get back to the corner, you get back to your dressing room, what did Mike Tyson tell you?

Did he tell you he's proud of you? What did he say? No, it wasn't even at the dressing room. Like, after the fight, he carried Cameroon flag, was just raising, like, the new heavyweight champion. You know, Mike, he doesn't care about all your stuff. He say whatever he believe in. And he was just out there like the winner of the night. Right.

So, overall, everyone was happy. We were happy. whatever he believed in, and he was just out there like the winner of the night. Right. Right. So overall, everyone was happy. We were happy. We did a great job. Everything went well leading up into the fight. Everything was good. You know, it was a good experience for everyone, the team, the people, the family around.

It was a pretty good experience. You know, the first time that I have my family attend to my fight, I had like 30 family members there, sitting first row, watching me fight. You know, my mom, my brothers, everyone. Were you nervous? Because you say that's the first time they've seen you. Yes.

You're always nervous when you're getting in something that um combat not competition yeah because it couldn't be it it could it could have been like uh performing like a musician or something yes you will still be nervous right when it comes to performance you're always nervous but at some point uh i was just like let's give them the show let's enjoy this who would have believed that they would be here like the entire village traveled to come sit there right uh watch me on the beach scream and uh the show was massive gigantic like never seen before right so so you had a great... So if you were to, and it seems like you're looking to pursue this full-time, are you looking for a full-time trainer or would you let Mike train you?

Or is this something that Mike would be, or was this a one-off? No. First of all, Mike is not a full-time trainer. Okay. Mike was helping. He would come time to time to help us, but it's not like he was every day in the training. Okay, so if this is something that you're going to pursue, you're going to have a full-time trainer. So are you looking to do this full-time and give up UFC?

I mean, not UFC, but MMA. Are you looking to give up MMA and just do boxing full-time, or are you trying to do a Deion Sanders and play football and basketball I mean baseball combination I can do a little bit of both right see let's see the great fight you know I think at this point of my career I just won a big fight a big show before I call it out right so how many how long do you train for this fight? Like four months. Four months. For this fight.

Like this was my first boxing match. So usually my training camp would be like 10 weeks, three months max. But this one was different. So I know that I have a lot of way to go. Basically, like when it comes to endurance, you know, condition and stuff so i took a lot of time ahead so you're talking about 10 three minute rounds versus five five minute rounds what's what's

the diff what did you notice a difference there's there's a lot of difference you know like uh in mma when you're tired first of all it's something that I have been doing. I have the experience. I know how to manage, you know. And in MMA, when you're tired, you can attempt a takedown or lean on somebody and act like grappling, or maybe try to take him down,

just lean on him, trying to walk a little bit and win the round. In boxing, there is no that. You better be able to stand on your feet and move. Not only move your feet, move your hands. You know, when those acid lactic start to get in your hand, then you're... Wake up with football every morning and listen to my new podcast, NFL Daily with Greg Rosenthal.

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Why would they trade him away? Because he would be a pivotal part of them winning that Super Bowl. I don't know why, Colleen. Catch the podcast, the NFL Daily with Greg Rosenthal every day. Subscribe today and you'll immediately be smarter and funnier than your friends. And who doesn't want that? Listen now on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.

Done, or in your feet, you're done. You better get a good training camp in order to avoid that because you're not going to lean on somebody for 10 or 30 seconds to rest, to take a breath. You know, you're going to be going constantly for 10 or 30 seconds to rest to take a breath you know you're going to be going constantly stand up face to face right so it's it's different so i like you so are you looking forward so who would you want let's just say some promoter came and says okay i don't need a promoter you don't have a promoter i don't need a promoter. Oh, so you're your own promoter? Yeah, I don't need a promoter.

So? Give me fight promotion. That's your promotion? Yeah. I can go promote with whoever have a fighter I want to put on a fight. I don't need a promotion. Okay. So who would you be looking in the heavyweight division to fight next?

Right now, I want to rematch with Tyson. You know, this fight built a lot of confidence on me, in me. But also, I think

he took me a little lightly. So, he might come next time very heavy. I want to feel it. You know,

I want a rematch. But I think now that you know what to expect, you believe he's going to want the rematch. But I think now that you know what to expect, you believe he's going to come back better prepared, but you'll be better prepared because you know what to expect from the previous fight. Of course. I mean, I'm definitely going to be prepared more, put more work into it.

You know, because I believe now. I mean, I was there, and I know that I won. And I know that even though they gave him a victory, he's coming now as a challenger. And he's coming now to restore himself, his reputation. So it's gonna be, it's gonna come hard. What's the, as far as training, what's the biggest difference between MMA and boxing in your training camp? Because you say you'd go probably about 10 weeks in MMA and you went four months.

So you went about, you went four months, you went about 16 weeks in boxing. So what's the biggest difference? Is there more cardio in MMA? Is there more road work in boxing? What's some of the differences that you notice? It depends. Whether it's MMA or boxing, everything depends on the pace that you're putting in. If you start, whether it's boxing, and then just go there, start through heavy punch,

pop, pop, pop, pop, pop, first round, you can last two rounds. You guys out. Same thing with MMA. You know, like, and then basically, like, MMA, if you go after somebody trying to take down and start a force there, stay there, you guys are like this. After two minutes, you have all the acid lactic here.

You know, it's also the pace, how to manage that. Because there's nobody that can go like keep this, his 100% for like three minutes. You just know how to manage it. So here it all depends. But I have more experience in MMA, so I know how to manage that, which in boxing is something that I'm still learning. Like on this fight, I saw a lot of tricks in the fight,

a lot of things that they were doing that was like, okay, he's right, he's not right, he's in the mirror, you know, so they can let it go, pass. What about the weight cut? I mean, how much, I mean, you're a fairly large man. I mean, what do you walk, what's your walk around weight? Like 275. Okay, so you go into an MMA fight, how much do you normally weigh? MMA fight, I will go 260, 250, maybe 257.

For this boxing match, how much did you weigh? 265. Okay, so there wasn't a whole lot, there was not a whole lot of cut. I didn't cut, I don't cut weight. You don't cut weight? I lose weight during training camp. It's not like I don't do I don't cut weight. You don't cut weight? I lose weight during training camp. It's not like I don't do something specific to cut weight.

I don't eat less. Right. So all these drastic weight cuts that we see some of the MMA fighters do, you don't do that? No, no, no. I don't do that. I mean, when you're training twice a day, every time you're going, you're putting everything. Come on, man. You're going to lose that weight. You're going to lose that weight.

So a lot of people thought the fight was going to be scripted because they see these exhibitions. They see Floyd Mayweather fight, the Paul brothers, and they see some of this stuff. But I think early on they could tell this is not scripted. This is real. That's what they said. Some people thought at the beginning, and we made it clear that this is not scripted. This is real. That's what they said. Some people thought at the beginning and we made it clear that this is going to our record. If you lost, you lost.

It's like you're not 33-0 anymore. You're 33-1. It's going there. And then exhibition doesn't go on the record. In exhibition, they don't need all those official, all those staff, all those drug testing staff, because they know at the end of the day it's just to put on a show.

I mean, the fight was in Saudi Arabia, and you have Kanye showed up, Em showed up, De La Hoya, Holyfield, Cristiano Ronaldo, Conor McGregor, Vince McMahon, Undertaker, Lil Baby performed. What was it like to see, like, you're way in Saudi Arabia? This wasn't Vegas, and we understand that Vegas is the fight capital of the world. You're in Saudi Arabia, and you have so many big names showing up

to see a guy that's never been in a boxing match before to see you fight. Yeah, and something that you don't even see in Vegas, you know, that concentration of of celebrity in one spot. I think that was the biggest concentration of celebrity in one spot. And listen, even before that, when we signed the fight, three months out the fight uh we start they started a promo video a uh video a music clip and then that was the moment that you i realized that no it's not the same it's not going to be the same at all you know like that video that video uh for the clip we shoot it in hollywood one week in hollywood just shooting a video clip and now i'm like okay'm like, okay, it's not the same.

It's not the same at all. We don't do it. I never do something like this. Right. Renaldo gifted you a $130,000 watch. What did that mean? I mean, everybody knows he's one of the most visible, recognizable people on the planet.

And you said, bro. I think he gave me more than that he gave me more than a watch uh we gave you more he gave you more gifts no i mean his gifts is not always what somebody gives you i think is the time yeah um like early this year uh right after i separated with the UFC, I left the UFC early this year, and then I went to Saudi. And we were, they were trying to make me meet Cristiano, and it didn't work out.

The guy that say, oh, we have a dinner or something. It didn't work out, okay. I think he was full of shit But Then we were in into a meeting at the other hotel restaurant and then my guys saw one of his His guy Ricardo right? I knew I'm like, ah, that's a Ronaldo guy. And he went to him and said, hey, Rick, and started to talk.

And he said, oh, and then he introduced me. He said, ah, Ronaldo Cristiano is a huge friend of Francis. And I'm like, yeah, maybe another guy that pretend to know Ronaldo Cristiano, right? So he said, okay, let me call. So he pick on the phone and call cristiano and say yes i'm here with francis and gano blah blah blah blah and then hang up i wasn't hearing the other side of the phone and then hang up and say yeah uh he said we should come up he's

at the pool i'm like yeah whatever i just followed the guy. You followed him up? Yeah, like, okay, what's going to happen? He's not going to chop my head. Then we went up to the pool. And yes, Cristiano was there with his wife, his daughter and staff. He was in the short and we introduced. Because to be honest, I wasn't expecting, I wouldn't be surprised if Ronaldo say hey, who is this? I wouldn't be surprised that he didn't know me right and then you know, I'm like, hey, what's up charm? I started talk started talk and I

Found found out that he knows a lot about me. He knows my story. He knows my fight He was giving me detail about the fight. Like how I fight this guy. What, how can I fight this guy? Which one is better between this guy and this guy? If I fight, I'm like, well, how come do you know much? And he said, we wake my family and I, we went down every time when you fight to watch your fight. And we were standing next to the pool like this

talking for like uh 40 40 minutes at least and i think that was more than a watch right yeah and just just the interaction the interaction and he was giving me advice the reason why he took this decision why i did this people don't understand they think this but i did this because of this i'm like wow you know you have to know the man know the public face figure him himself and understand his mind and i'm like this very interesting and he was giving me some some advice and um at the end you know he was so genuine that at the end I was like, I can't live without having my picture with Cristiano, right? I'm going to get a proof. I'm like, but I was still a little embarrassed to talk about picture.

And then I'm like, yeah, no, no worry. Let's go. And then he put his shirt on. We went to, on the shade and started to take picture. I'm like, okay, let's do face off. And he was laughing hugging me right you look at that picture he seems like we know we know each other for years right yeah it was our first time meeting he was this is how genuine he was and then i was going to save my

picture for whenever i'm going to post it is my picture with Christiane Oh Couple hours after I found a picture. I just find my Notification on my phone started like I'm like, what the hell is going on? I checked Christiane Oh post post that picture and say Was happy to meet you today Champ friends and gano or the stop blah blah blah. That's when I post mine That was way more than the watch. What was some of the best advice that you've gotten being in that situation?

Because you got exposed to a lot of different things that you didn't get exposed to in the MMA by taking this fight with Tyson Fury. So what were some of the things that people have reached out and given you advice about moving forward? Uh, listen, most of the time, basically when you're doing something that people don't understand your decision, it's not about advice. Uh, people will always be, uh, most people, some people will support you. People that are on your side will support you. Even when, even when they disagree with you right they still

support you because it's you all right um but as far as advice who was the guy that really believed in it in order to give you advice everybody or like um i don't know about that right so and then you have to do yourself to yourself you have to have this self-conversation with yourself like okay am i good yeah that was my decision i wanted this i wanted this i'm doing this and at the end of the day what could be worse maybe for me the worst is not to try the worst is not to try unfair so i don't care i'm getting into the position that nobody has ever expected me to get there. I'm doing something that is uncomfortable for everyone. I'm taking a risk, this challenge.

I could have just said in MMA, I'm more comfortable there. But I'm taking a challenge, right? At the end of the day, what I want to tell my kid is that I dare. That's all that matters. Deontay Wilder, obviously, he fought Tyson Fury three times. Three times. They had a draw, and then Fury beat him the last two times. Would you be willing to fight him in a boxing match?

Of course. Even before this Tyson fight, we were talking with him. Like, he is also willing to fight me in MMA. Now, come on, Francis. Oh, no, for real. Francis, stop. Why would you even take that fight? Why?

He asked. Okay, let me tell you why. Let's say he's not fighting me. He's fighting somebody else, right? I look at the profile of that fighter. I put my money on Deontay. Basically, I mean, even just as a boxer. Basically, now that he's like really intent to do that MMA and be training on,

I put money on him because you just need to cut somebody to land a punch. Wake up with football every morning and listen to my new podcast, NFL Daily with Greg Rosenthal. Five days a week, you'll get all the latest news, previews, recaps, and analysis delivered straight to your podcast feed by the time you get your coffee. No dumb hot takes here, just smart hot takes. We'll talk every single game, every single week,

but I can't do it alone, so I'm bringing in the big guns from NFL media. That's Patrick Claiborne, Steve Weiss, Nick Shook, Jordan Rodrigue from The Athletic, and of course, Colleen Wolfe. This is their window right now. This is their Super Bowl window. Why would they trade him away? Because he would be a pivotal part of them winning that Super Bowl.

I don't know why, Colleen. Catch the podcast, the NFL Daily with Greg Rosenthal every day. Subscribe today and you'll immediately be smarter and funnier than your friends. And who doesn't want that? Listen now on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Yeah, but you know them jokes. Go ahead and lay the long leg, baby, but It can also be a mixed room. Oh

So you can't kick or something like that thinking of a mix. Okay. Yeah, right because Honestly, I think it's gonna be too hard for him if we don't miss the rules the one thing about MMA. You can't be one-dimensional Ronda Rousey was one-dimensional. Conor McGregor's one-dimensional. Really? Yeah, he just throw punches. He has a good ground game, too.

Every time they take him to the ground, somebody will always have a better, there's always somebody that has a better ground game than somebody. And when they say you have a... There's always somebody that has a better ground game than somebody. And when they say you have a decent ground game, it's not the best on the game. It's a sport of multiple disciplines, multiple dimensions. You have to be decent at some.

And most of the time, champion is not great at one thing. Good at a lot. It's just good at a lot. You just need to... Good at a lot. Good at a lot. You just need to be good at a lot. Yes. Then, besides good at a lot, your fighting IQ make you even higher. Because sometimes you fight it.

You're fighting a wrestler, you know that as soon as you guys get in the contact... You can feel the clench, You can feel, okay, he... It's different. This guy be wrestling for 20 years. Right. You can wrestle for three, two, three months in the training camp and come compete with somebody that be eating wrestling for his entire life, right?

So you just have to avoid to go to that territory, you know, play with that. But at the end end you might win the fight but it doesn't mean you're a best wrestler if they put you guys in the wrestling game he'll eat you people like you five in one minute yeah wrestler yeah because i'm gonna get tired like it's hard it's hard to avoid getting tired when you try to wrestle somebody. Yes, because you contract. Yeah. Always like this.

Yeah. You know, relax. What about Anthony Joshua? Would you be willing to fight Anthony Joshua? Of course. I'm willing to fight him. He said he'd knock you out. I mean, this is what he said.

He said what? He said he'd knock you out. But even Tyson Fury said the same thing. And Tyson Fury is better than Anthony Joshua. So, what do I care about what people say? You heard that, Anthony? You heard what he said? He said Tyson Fury is better than you.

He beat Tyson Fury. What do I care about what people say? I mean, I've been into this game so long. I have seen so much. I've heard so much what people intend to do. Right. There is a difference between wanting to do and be able to do or to do. Or saying what you're going to do

until you get into the ring and then have to do. Yeah. So would you be willing to fight him in like a mix, like you said you and Deontay? In anyone, in anything that he wants. Yeah, anything. Anything that he wants. You just want him in the ring?

Yeah, anything that he wants. Ring of octagon. Oh, fight. You know, like, the good thing about this is, like, I'm the one that can go everywhere more comfortably. Right. You know, my comfort zone will be octagon. But I'm going to the ring and putting them

into a bad spot in the ring, so... So you're going into their territory. Yeah, I'm conquering. You're conquering new territory. I like that. I like that. Because I have my territory where they cannot mess with me. No. And if they come, they will need something, like some favor.

Like, okay, I give you this. Okay, we take a kick out. Okay, I have to give him something. Yeah. You can't kick, you can't elbow. Yeah. You just basically got to box. I mean, well, no, you just have to box him in the octagon because now you can't take him down

because they can't afford to take down. Yeah, I have to give him something. But when we step in the ring, they don't give you anything. But I still get them in trouble. Right. So leaving the UFC, was that a very hard decision for you?

It was a decision that if it was up to me, I wouldn't take that decision. You know, the situation make me take a decision, but it wasn't something that I was expecting or that I was thinking, but I get to the point that I realize that for my good, for my best, I have to take the right decision for myself.

Right. And that was a good decision for myself. Because I'm looking at some of the things that you requested. You requested health insurance, the ability to have sponsorship for all UFC fighters. You were the advocate for fighters in all contract negotiation. And when UFC, they denied your request, they resigned you, it's like, okay, you're the first reigning champ to leave the UFC since 2004. So almost 20 years, Francis. But the reason why I did that, you know,

it wasn't something that even early in my career I was thinking about. The reason that I was requesting all those stuff because was the thing that the that pushed me in the position that my back was against the wall. Then I have to figure out that, okay, this is what's wrong. This is what's wrong. This is what get me here.

If I wasn't back on the wall, maybe I wouldn't have figured that out. So then when I get my back off that wall, I'm like, no. I don't want to get in that position that I'm powerless. In fact, we all are in those positions that we are powerless. So you need to give something up. Not to make it, you can be even, but at least give something up. I have a contract that I have no leverage in that contract, no power, nobody could advocate for me. Everything that is there is what you say.

Even when you talk about extension, you decide, you are the party and the judge. You say, okay, this, we are extending you. I don't even have a right to fight. I don't have. And those kind of thing, they put me in the position to start things like that. So, obviously, that's how he come out. So, what was, I mean, so obviously you, being heavyweight champ, you have a relationship, somewhat of a relationship with Dana. You sit down and have a conversation. You say, well, Dana, bro, come on now. I understand you guys have built this. You have an unbelievable company, but I'm Francis Ngannou. I'm the heavyweight

champion of the world. Make some concessions. No, I mean, he wasn't about me because I don't just think that, oh, I'm Francis Ngannou. What the hell? What do they have to do with the fact that you're Francis Ngannou? I'm a fighter and I believe that a fighter is the one that makes that company. Without a fighter, there is not a promotion, there is not UFC or there is not any other fighting promotion. How about just thinking of giving them, a fighter, a little bit of a condition and one thing that i said uh the advocate uh the advocate for the fighters was just like let's get somebody that it wasn't even about a union i said let's just get somebody that speak for the fighters uh who will represent

the fighters in the ball meeting because i do believe that sometimes your decision hurts fighters but you didn't mean to but you're seeing stuff from your perspective but if somebody was there to explain you the fighter perspective maybe you would have understand better and find a

make a concession and make it a good decision for everyone. So that was my request. It wasn't like a big deal. You want to fire this advocate? A advocate, right? And the reason why I did that, also leading to a sponsorship

because I lost a sponsorship for the amount of money that I never make fighting right because of one of their sponsor so I'm in the position that I'm like okay I'm not making money I can't fight until you guys want me to fight if you are not happy to me I cannot fight and I have no right that contract gives me no right to claim like okay I have I have a right to fight, to fight a year minimum. Right. There's nothing. You can't sit me there for two, one year and a half and say,

oh, we are looking, oh, this doesn't work. This didn't work out. Oh, this can be good. Wow. And I'm like, no, that's not fair. That's not right. Right. You are taking everything out from me.

All my right, exclusivity. Because you only make money if you fight. Yeah. And so i'm exclusive i'm supposedly independent uh contractor but i'm not because i think the word independent contractor is just not to give me the benefit that employees will have like such as health insurance and most of the time we in this sport we get to the point that we need surgery or something that is more that we can afford we cannot afford a lot of fighters still fight paycheck after paycheck and that's why like when when they finish a fight, go home, sit, and pray that they receive a call for the promotion for the UFC to fight again in order to have money. And by the time they have a fight, they're already broke.

They already spent the money that they made from the last fight. So, at least you cover something. Like, I have seen fighters, I mean, even now, I still see a lot of fighters that get hurt, but they can't go to the hospital. And they can't pull out from the fight because they need to go because... You have to make the money.

No, they need to go into the fight. When they come out of the fight they claim it as they was hurt in the fight that they only that's the only because that's the only moment that they are covered they have the insurance but if they don't do that if they don't go to the fight they will never benefit from that insurance and i think it's not fair you know in a sport that you're using your body going after you know you have a surgery injury and then you have to go with this injury for like maybe one or two months just because you cannot afford a surgery or something i think you said something very interesting you

said that you had an opportunity for a sponsorship, that you would make more money from that sponsor than you would in the fight, but you couldn't do the sponsorship because of the sponsor with the UFC. Yeah. So did Dana then says, okay, Francis, you can't do that sponsorship, but since we have a sponsor, you can do this sponsor. Did he come to you with that? No. you can do this sponsor. Did he come to you with that? Uh, no. And that, again, you know,

that's the kind of concession that I don't want. I think at this point, we are getting to the place that we can have our own right. And the reason, um, I think, um, fighter get robbed from their platform, which is like sponsorship. Sponsorship is what athletes most of the time get a little more money.

Basically, for those who doesn't make money, they count a lot of sponsorship. And obviously, when you're having a lot of money. Or you can have an endorsement on your trunks or something like that. Yes. You know, gaming sites or, you know, something of that nature. Yes. And I, gaming sites or, you know, something of that nature.

Yes. And I understand that they want to make the sport clean and this, yes, that's good, you know, credit to you. But at least have a department so you say, okay, maybe fighters are allowed to have one or two that will be checked, if everything, and fit into the box. If so, they can have it, you know, but have it because that's their own.

Right. But now you have to wear or carry all those sponsors on you that you don't even know. You got to use all the UFC sponsors. Yeah, basically. So no value for you. John Jones and Dana White. Dana said Francis wants to take zero risk. He obviously didn't want to take a chance with John Jones.

He also said Dana wants to fight the lesser of opponents and make money. Is there any regret that you left the UFC without getting an opportunity to settle you and John Jones? I always regret it. Before I left the UFC, I'd been asking this fight for almost three years. And guess what? They've been telling me that John Jones is scared. John Jones doesn't want to fight. John Jones doesn't want this.

John Jones has enough money. He's living in a book, a cookie that is not spending that much money so he doesn't need a risk John John is not these children doesn't want these and that's how they keep rolling you know so is a mechanism that they use in any sense right of negotiation and I'm sure like maybe at the same time if John John is asking the same fight they will say the same thing into this fight and that's the problem when you have somebody in the mirror that is controlling the information the only thing that I know from John John's is what the UFC would tell me from John John the only thing that Jon Jon would know from me is what the UFC would tell him. So what's mean? The power is here. He manipulate everything, both side and public opinion.

What if the UFC and your current MMA sanctioning body says, you know what, this fight is too big not to happen. Just like we saw with Conor McGregor and Floyd Mayweather. That was too much money for it not to happen. So we got $50 million. We're going to split it right down the middle. Well, I've been claiming this fight. I'm in the PFL. We can do the same thing as they did with Floyd Mayweather. But at this moment,

PFL needs to be involved. Right. Yeah. But they want to cut PFL out. They just want to be... I don't know what they want to do, but I do know... But you would be willing to fight Jon Jones. I'm willing to. I'm willing to, still now, as long as we can find a way.

I'm willing to do that fight. Not to go back to the ufc but just that just that one just that one for one this is a one-time offer yeah just to fight junjuns but i mean but let me ask you a question yes you make 25 million let's just say for the sake of art because it's going to be the biggest it's going to be the biggest fight in ufc history yeah you're a champion he's a champion many believe he's the greatest MMA fighter ever. I know about it. I believe too so you're gonna make a Now you get 25 you get 30 40 million dollars in your bank account. How does Francis Vingano stay motivated?

That changes That amount of money because now all of a sudden Francis got over he got on mink slippers no first of all you have to I think you have to find out what's keep you what is your motivation okay some time some people motivation is money mm-hmm and for some people money is the money will hurt them to get higher to find more like we are today in the gym, to a private gym that I have on my own. Money allows me to do that, you know, to set. But I'm using money to build my own infrastructure

and just to get better because I'm going somewhere. I'm using it to accommodate myself better, to equip myself better to get there. I'm using those money to maybe myself better, to equip myself better to get there. I'm using those money to maybe when needed, I don't have to take appointment with physical therapy. I just have my own personal physical therapy and that's what I did. But my motivation is still the same.

My drive wasn't to get money. Money will help me to get what I want my drive was to get do the best that I can possibly do to find out how far I can go and I'm still about to find out how I can go every time this get bigger and bigger you feel the need of this right so you think before the the tyson fight i was sitting home like oh no i'm not hungry anymore no i mean it's been a long time since i'm not hungry but i need him that motivation right i still have that motivation and even better it's getting even better because you get that and then your needs you see what side are you want more yeah no i mean more to achieve like what

can i do like uh when i started my career there wasn't like a potential junjun fight would be the biggest fight one of the biggest fight there wasn't a tyson fury fight that would be a biggest fight you get to the point that you can get all that why you? It would be a waste to retire without having all that, without testing yourself like that. Since that's your goal. November is here and we're in the heart of football season. Basketball and hockey are just getting started. So many games to watch on any given day. But wouldn't it be better if they were live?

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