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Despite Friend Dana White’s Ignorant Response, Joe Rogan Breaks Silence on $8 Million Francis Ngannou Deal With PFL

Published 05/31/2023, 9:26 AM EDT

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Joe Rogan is not too happy about Francis Ngannou leaving the UFC. The longtime commentator revealed his mind on the subject during a recent episode of ‘The Joe Rogan Experience.’ An avid martial arts enthusiast, Rogan was cage side for many of Francis Ngannou’s devastating wins in the UFC. Therefore, he would have preferred if ‘The Predator’ continued with the promotion. Further, he also mentioned what intrigues him about Ngannou’s move to the PFL.

This historic move has garnered both positive and negative feedback from all directions. One of the harshest critics of the move has been UFC president Dana White. He questioned the logic behind PFL’s decision questioning Ngannou’s inactivity and blaming him for not taking risks. Meanwhile, Rogan has been silent on the issue until now.  The BJJ black belt recently gave his own thoughts while weighing the pros and cons of the deal.

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In episode #1991 of JRE, Joe Rogan hosted Ari Schaffir, Mark Normand, and Shane Gillis for almost three hours. The four stand-up comics had an entertaining chat on different topics and eventually landed on the subject of Francis Ngannou. They were watching a clip of the Cameroonian fighting Stipe Miocic for the UFC title when Rogan gave his thoughts on the PFL deal.

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Joe Rogan is sad to see Francis Ngannou moving to the PFL

As Joe Rogan watched Ngannou dismantle Miocic on the screen, he observed how Ngannou had improved his game since the loss to Miocic many years ago. The 55-year-old then confessed his frustrations with Ngannou’s exit. He said, “It’s a big loss in my mind, like, him going to the PFL. It bums me out.”

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He continued, “I understand it. I’m happy he’s going to get paid, I’m happy he’s going to get to box. But I loved watching this guy fight in the UFC. He was a f***ing monster. He was so good dude. And he is so good.”

Rogan finally added, “It’s going to be interesting. I just don’t know who they’re going to have him fight.”

Rogan’s query is actually one that is shared by many fans and pros. Ngannou’s move to PFL was a historic one. He turned down an $ 8 million plus deal from the UFC. The former UFC champion has now made himself and his future opponents eligible for multi-million dollar paychecks. Further, he is the chairman of PFL Africa also.

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Read More“Terrible for Stipe” – Joe Rogan Claims Stipe Miocic Was Provided a Built-in Disadvantage Against Francis Ngannou at UFC 260

The deal with PFL also grants him the freedom to compete in boxing. However, the question of who he fights in the PFL remains largely unanswered. Ngannou could possibly be keeping an eye on PFL’s heavyweight tournaments, whose winner could potentially be his first opponent.

What do you make of Rogan’s statement? Who do you think Ngannou fights in the PFL? What are your thoughts on the move?

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Written by:

Yeswanth Praveen

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Yeswanth Praveen is a UFC writer at EssentiallySports, having written over 500 articles on the sport. With a Master’s degree in English Literature, Yeswanth expertly combines his writing and storytelling skills with his passion for MMA. He was initially drawn to the sport after the intense rivalry between Conor McGregor and Khabib Nurmagomedov captured his attention.
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Edited by:

Anuj Jacob