Tag: Marquel Martin

Francis Ngannou’s manager accuses UFC of trying to tank Tyson Fury fight: ‘There’s a sour taste in their mouth’

francis ngannouFrancis Ngannou’s manager shares his thoughts on the UFC’s reaction to the heavyweights recent monumental announcement. After what has been years of frustration, Ngannou once again proved many doubters wrong when it was announced that he would be the next opponent of Tyson Fury. ‘The Predator’ will earn a payday reportedly worth it least $10 […]

francis ngannou

Francis Ngannou’s manager shares his thoughts on the UFC’s reaction to the heavyweights recent monumental announcement.

After what has been years of frustration, Ngannou once again proved many doubters wrong when it was announced that he would be the next opponent of Tyson Fury. ‘The Predator’ will earn a payday reportedly worth it least $10 million and the spotlight that comes with such a massive event. All this while still under contract with the PFL, where he signed a lucrative deal along with other personal benefits earlier this year

After a long feud with the UFC which ended in Ngannou turning down an offer to fight Jon Jones in order to test free agency, it became clear that the promotions president Dana White grew frustrated. He has taken shots at Ngannou over the past few months, even labelling his fight with Tyson Fury as a ‘gimmick’.

Francis Ngannou manager speaks on ‘gimmick’ fight

Appearing on The MMA Hour, Nganou’s manager Marquel Martin discussed the actions of White, accusing him of trying to tank the Fury deal.

“Dana is one of the best promoters that we’ve ever seen,” Martin clarified. “I’ll always say that. So when we saw it, we just kind of [were] like, ‘Of course.’ Right? Of course you would say, on one end, it’s a gimmick fight and then on the other hand, it comes to where it’s like, ‘Oh no, we’ll put that on.’ So I’m sure that they wanted that fight.

“I think they really wanted to just mess up our chances, to be quite honest,” continued Martin. “I think, for whatever reason, there’s a sour taste in their mouth when it comes to Francis. And yeah, they don’t want Francis to be able to have that opportunity. Right? I think that was clear to us for a while. For what reason? I don’t know, you have to ask them. But it’s a moot point.”

Francis Ngannou speaks with Ariel helwani

Ngannou and Fury will box in an exhibition match on October 28 in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia

What do you make of Francis Ngannou’s moves outside the UFC?

Kevin Lee Thinks He Was Scapegoated By UFC For Ngannou’s Dispute

Former UFC interim title challenger Kevin Lee doesn’t think his release from the top MMA promotion was about his performance alone. Lee is set to make his Eagle FC debut at EFC 46 on March 11 against another former UFC standout, Diego Sanchez. Lee was let go by the UFC last year following a one-sided […]

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Former UFC interim title challenger Kevin Lee doesn’t think his release from the top MMA promotion was about his performance alone.

Lee is set to make his Eagle FC debut at EFC 46 on March 11 against another former UFC standout, Diego Sanchez. Lee was let go by the UFC last year following a one-sided loss to Daniel Rodriguez at welterweight.

Lee is managed by Creative Artists Agency (CAA), which is the same firm that manages UFC heavyweight champion Francis Ngannou. The UFC and Ngannou have gone back-and-forth for months regarding negotiations for a new contract.

The relationship between CAA manager Marquel Martin and UFC president Dana White has been tense, to say the least. White has repeatedly taken shots at him in various interviews.

Lee’s release from the UFC was a surprise to many. During a recent interview with MMA Junkie, Lee reflected on his UFC release and whether or not it caught him off guard.

“To say I was surprised – no, not really,” Lee said. “I know the back end and all the stuff that goes behind closed doors. They really showed me no respect toward the end. I feel like I ate a lot of the flak for guys like Francis Ngannou in his situation with them. They used me as kind of like a pawn and a scapegoat. And really, I hope other fighters kind of see that. That’s what they do to you.

“They didn’t like the way negotiations was handled with Francis, so they took it out on me to kind of show (CAA) a lesson. But I think in the end, we’re going to show that you can’t necessarily treat people like this, and there’s many other ways to make money and kind of outshine them. So we’re going to beat them one way or the other.”

Ngannou most recently defended his heavyweight title against Ciryl Gane at UFC 270. He’s expected to undergo surgery on a knee injury he suffered leading up to the fight.

At 29 years old, Lee still has the opportunity to live up to the massive expectations bestowed upon him just a few years ago. As he gets ready to make his EFC debut, he’s looking to prove that the UFC’s decision to cut him was a massive mistake.

Do you think Kevin Lee could eventually work his way back to the UFC?

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