AUTIN, TEXAS: Joe Rogan, renowned for his role as a UFC commentator and as the host of 'The Joe Rogan Experience' (JRE) podcast, had the pleasure of welcoming Francis Ngannou as his guest in a recent episode.
During their engaging conversation, the two delved into a wide range of subjects, including Ngannou's approach to negotiation tactics.
In January, Francis Ngannou, the former UFC heavyweight champion, garnered significant attention by publicly stating his intention to relinquish the championship and depart from the organization once his contract had reached its conclusion.
Francis Ngannou's approach toward negotiation
Francis Ngannou opted to depart from the world's most prestigious MMA organization in pursuit of fresh challenges, citing dissatisfaction with the limited control over his professional career.
Notably, Ngannou has inked a groundbreaking agreement with the Professional Fighters League (PFL). Furthermore, he has agreed to step into the boxing ring for his professional boxing debut against Tyson Fury, the reigning heavyweight world champion.
Francis Ngannou recently spoke on Joe Rogan's podcast and described how he approaches negotiations. He said, “We spoke, I hear them out and I knew them, right and I’m like okay, this is legit. That’s where I now put them in contact with my team to negotiate."
He continued, "Because they wanted me to do everything less, negotiate less. I’m like I don’t do negotiation, I listen, I talk about how I would like things to go but I don’t like to negotiate personally. ‘Oh I want this, I deserve this...’ You know, I’d rather have somebody do that on my behalf."
Ngannou also discussed the drawbacks of doing negotiations without a middleman, "It’s always good to have somebody in the middle that would take the temper of both parties cause a deal can fall off just because somebody’s mad and this, and his ego takes over and the deal’s off, right?"
He further added, "But when there’s somebody in between, you always come to, okay, it’s not him and to think about it. Not frustrating, but over the time you learn, you understand how it works and it’s pretty easy.”
Francis Ngannou revealed his PFL deal to Joe Rogan
Francis Ngannou's contract with the PFL made headlines for its groundbreaking nature.
It not only boosted his earnings but also granted him substantial influence over the organization's youth development programs and ensured a substantial fight purse for any potential opponents.
Ngannou emphasized how these unique provisions within the PFL contract played a pivotal role in his decision to collaborate with the league. He said on JRE episode, "The way they structured it, I was already happy…"
He went on to say, "But we kept that contract, at that time I was like, ‘Why rush into anything, take some time’, no, I didn’t sign. But, when I was putting the contract next to the PFL one, it was day and night… Yeah, [the PFL’s was better].”
