BKFC promoter, David Feldman revealed that Francis’ Ngannou’s demands were too steep for the parties to come to an agreement.
Earlier this year it was revealed that Ngannou and the UFC had parted ways after a long and ugly dispute. The heavyweight felt that he was being underpaid, but even after months of negotiation, the promotion and Ngannou could not agree on a figure, so the then reigning champion would walk.
It’s been several months and while rumours have flown, nothing concrete has emerged regarding Ngannou’s next move. The Cameroonian has said to have held talks with the likes of PFL, Eddie Hearn of Matchroom boxing and Bellator.
David Feldman talks Francis Ngannou
During a press conference for BKFC 42, Feldman was quizzed on whether the Ben Rothwell facing Ngannou. While Feldman has signed some big names as of late, including former UFC champions Luke Rockhold and Eddie Alvarez, the American revealed that Ngannou was simply asking for too much money.
“Francis Ngannou, he’s somebody we’ve certainly reached out to,” Feldman said. “We’ve reached out to him, we’ve reached out to his team, and we just feel like he’s asking for unrealistic money, and we’re not willing to pay that kind of money for him.”
Alleged text messages that were leaked between Ali Abdelaziz and a European promoter stated that Ngannou was asking for $30 million. Where this figure is completely accurate is unclear, but Feldman says the heavyweight needs to make his mind up soon.
“I do think he needs to make his mind up pretty soon,” Feldman said. “As the days go on, his value is starting to drop a little bit.”
If David Feldman is right, how much is too much for Francis Ngannou?