BKFC President David Feldman states that former UFC heavyweight champion Francis Ngannou is asking for unrealistic money and may face diminishing value as his free agency status remains uncertain.
BKFC President David Feldman has revealed that he has been in communication with former UFC heavyweight champion Francis Ngannou. However, it seems the two sides are on completely different pages regarding a potential deal. At Tuesday’s BKFC 41 press conference in Las Vegas ahead of the promotion’s event on April 29, Feldman addressed a question regarding interest in heavyweight Ben Rothwell facing Ngannou, who parted ways with the UFC earlier this year. Despite attempts to reach a deal with Ngannou, Feldman expressed doubt that an agreement would materialize soon.
Feldman shared that both he and his team have been in contact with Ngannou and his representatives, but the asking price has been a stumbling block. “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,” Feldman stated. Ngannou has expressed interest in trying his hand in professional boxing against the likes of Tyson Fury, Anthony Joshua, or Deontay Wilder, but nothing has been announced or set as of now.
Meanwhile, MMA promotions Bellator and PFL have both expressed significant interest in acquiring Ngannou’s services. Bellator president Coker even went as far as suggesting that “The Predator” could box under the Showtime Boxing banner in collaboration with a promotional deal. However, Feldman believes that Ngannou’s perceived value continues to decline as his free agency remains unresolved. “I do think he needs to make his mind up pretty soon,” Feldman said, adding, “As the days go on, his value is starting to drop a little bit.”