Francis Ngannou did not hold back when responding to recent criticism about the direction of his career.
Since walking away from the UFC in 2022, Ngannou has only fought once in MMA, knocking out Renan Ferreira in October 2024 under the PFL banner.
Despite that, he will finally make his MMA return on May 16, taking on Philipe Lins on the undercard of Ronda Rousey vs Gina Carano, promoted by Most Valuable Promotions.
Ahead of his highly-anticipated return, ‘The Predator’ has responded to the continuing criticism concerning his legacy since he departed the premier MMA promotion.
Francis Ngannou has made it clear he values earnings over legacy
This past Tuesday, the first press conference was held for the upcoming Netflix MMA event.
When speaking to reporters after the press conference, Ngannou addressed ongoing fan criticism that he ruined his legacy by leaving the UFC.
“Give me a definition of legacy,” Ngannou said.
“Ah, like Muhammad Ali’s (lasting memory of the sport), okay, let me tell you what legacy is. My legacy right now is my kids, back home it’s my family getting health care, getting security, being able to put food on the table, being able to put a roof over their head.
“That’s a better legacy. You can have the Muhammad Ali legacy or whatever you want if your kid cannot attend school he has no place in society. If your kid doesn’t have food then legacy doesn’t do you for anything.
“You cannot go to the store or the gas station or the school and pay the scholar fee with legacy. They have to understand. This is some bulls– that promotion feed fighters and they’re all out there fighting for legacy.
“Good for you, keep the legacy, give me my pay that I deserve.”
Ngannou has not been active in MMA lately, but he has not exactly been missing out financially either. Fights against Tyson Fury and Anthony Joshua brought in two major paydays – both far bigger than anything from his time in the UFC.
Francis Ngannou opens up about plans for Rico Verhoeven fight that fell through
While many fans are looking forward to seeing ‘The Predator’ back in the sport, there is a general feeling that the matchup does not add much excitement to his return.
During the press conference, Ngannou shared that he was originally scheduled to face Rico Verhoeven in his comeback fight.
Those plans changed when Verhoeven accepted a major offer to box Oleksandr Usyk, leaving the 38-year-old without his intended opponent.
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