Francis Ngannou proved Conor McGregor, Dana White and haters wrong by making millions boxing Tyson Fury and Anthony Joshua

07/03/2024 16:45

Francis Ngannou has every right to feel smug ahead of his latest fight.

The former UFC heavyweight champion will box for the second time when he takes on Anthony Joshua at 'Knockout Chaos' in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia on March 8.

Ngannou previously shocked the world when he dropped WBC heavyweight titleholder Tyson Fury and pushed him to a contentious 10-round split decision last October.

'The Predator' may have lost on the scorecards but he came out as a winner after being competitive and making more money in one night than he did in his entire UFC career.

After earning around $10 million (£7.8M) to fight Fury, it's reported Ngannou will bank up to $20 million (£15.8M) when he squares off against Joshua on Friday night.

By becoming a boxing millionaire, Ngannou has proven his doubters wrong.

UFC superstar Conor McGregor was one of the many MMA stars who claimed Ngannou had made a mistake by turning down an offer to stay with MMA's premier promotion and fight Jon Jones.

“He was in that Performance Institute, using all the equipment, there was no dough on that,” McGregor said in March 2023.

"There wouldn’t have been no charge on that. Like he’s gonna get accommodation, he’s getting everything sorted. I thought he made an error, to be honest.

"I mean, he hasn’t fought in a minute. Get a bout under the belt and then maybe start.

“I wasn’t sure why he done that, to be honest, and you know, it has kind of taken the shine off of him how it went but look, I wish him well.”

UFC CEO Dana White was understandably upset when Ngannou left, and he frequently took shots at him in the media – even after a fight with Fury was booked.

"That's one of the big problems with boxing right now," he said.

"It's all about these gimmicky-type fights. That's just not what I do here. That's just not what I do. I put on fights with the best fighters in the world."

White, who famously gave WWE superstar CM Punk two UFC fights, has since expressed an interest in making a crossover fight between Mark Zuckerberg and Elon Musk.

McGregor and his boss weren't the only people doubting Ngannou after his UFC exit, many other fighters told him he'd made an error, as did a section of fans.

Now, he's rich beyond his wildest dreams and on the cusp of boxing greatness.

If Ngannou beats Joshua, he will most likely be matched up against the winner of Fury's four-belt undisputed fight with WBO, WBA, and IBF champion Oleksandr Usyk, which is set for May 18.

In just three boxing fights, he could win every belt and conquer the sport.

McGregor, White, and all the haters have already gone quiet, but they could be forced to publicly praise Ngannou if he does the unthinkable in 2024.