With the UFC firmly in Francis Ngannou’s rearview mirror, free agency beckons. Bellator and Showtime Boxing, according to Showtime Sports president Stephen Espinoza, are “absolutely interested” in securing the services of the former heavyweight champ. Espinoza wants to offer Ngannou what the UFC could not: the opportunity to compete in both boxing and MMA at the highest level.
“There is no one else in the world who can give him the opportunities in both boxing and MMA at the level Bellator and Showtime Boxing can do. Showtime and Bellator can give him the best flexibility and bang for his buck, the biggest most lucrative financial opportunity, all while really allowing him to develop all elements of his career simultaneously.”
Showtime Sports President Pitching “Bang for Buck” Ngannou For Bellator, Boxing
Espinoza warned that Ngannou’s contentious departure from the UFC should serve as a warning to other fighters. “To be completely honest, a lot of this is not about Ngannou or about a particular fight.
It’s about the precedent and the message that is sent to everyone else in the UFC and to future deals in the UFC. So, what Ngannou was trying to do was break the mold a little bit, and he certainly had leverage to at least have that conversation. But ultimately, from my perspective, the UFC felt they had far more at stake. They have a particular business model. Ngannou was not a fan of that business model, and that I think was a step too far for the UFC.
They’ve got a business structure they’re not going to threaten for even something as attractive as an Ngannou.” Espinoza argued that the Bellator roster could well be the right place for Francis Ngannou.
“When we look at the roster of talent, Bellator is much, much deeper both in terms of established talent and up-and-coming talent, and that’s not a sleight on the talent in PFL, because there’s some very talented fighters there.
But if we look overall at the talent in the organization, then anybody knowledgeable in MMA can see that Bellator has a stronger base with its top-10 fighters in the roster as a whole. PFL is a bit louder about their boasts, whereas Bellator goes about it quietly and lets the talents of the fighters speak for themselves.
Without question, whoever ends up with Ngannou is going to get a big boost. Because of the interest in boxing, and he still has a lot of opportunities within MMA.
If he wants to go into a big heavyweight matchup right away, if he wants to do a long-term build or bounce back and forth, the world is his oyster. There isn’t an organization that wouldn’t want to call him up and try to do business with him.”
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