Former UFC champion Francis Ngannou admitted to facing serious financial difficulties before his departure from the world's premier league.
MMA Fighting quotes Ngannou as saying:
You were talking earlier about the contract that I turned down. I took $600,000 for my last fight in the UFC as opposed to $5 million that they were offering for the same fight. And I was broke. At the time I owed Usman $200,000. I was broke. It’s true!
Francis Ngannou
Usman, 36, fought against Khamzat Chimaev in October 2023 in the co-main event of UFC 294 in Abu Dhabi, UAE. Chimaev won by majority decision, with 20 victories and four losses on his record.