BlocksInform
Cameroonian rider francis ngannou, which competes in the heavyweight division for the ultimate combat championship (ufc), plans to join the growing list of sports stars receiving their pay cheques in bitcoin.
A Bitcoin Believer
The UFC champion revealed Friday that he is a Bitcoin believer and discussed prominent cryptocurrency with his family and friends. Ngannou also noted that he is quite optimistic about the future of Bitcoin, and that's why he's considering taking half of his next battle gains in the digital asset.
I spoke with family and friends in the cryptography space. #Bitcoin is huge in Africa and I’m thinking of taking half my fight purse in it. Bitcoin is the future and I’m a believer ?? @ufc #ufc270
— Francis Ngannou (@francis_ngannou) January 14, 2022
Ngannou’s Next Fight
The UFC heavyweight champion will face French mixed martial artist Ciryl Gane in the title unify to the UFC 270 on January 22, 2022.
As defending champion, ngannou holds the world record for the toughest hit ever measured. He makes between $500,000 and $600,000 a game, including all sorts of bonuses. This would mean that the fighter will receive about $250k to $300k in BTC if he proceeds with his decision to accept part of his next fighting bag in Bitcoin.
Interestingly, paying Ngannou via bitcoin would not be an issue for UFC as the company has an existing sponsorship deal with the popular crypto exchange CryptoCom. The collaboration, worth around $175 million and lasting ten years, will see the exchange logo displayed on the combat kits used in all UFC battles.
Meanwhile, ngannou noted that his fight against the gane could be his last to ufc that his contract with the company has expired, and he doesn't want to extend it because of unfair paychecks. The 35-year-old boxer says he's willing to sign a new deal with a boxing option for a higher wage.
Bitcoin Salary
Sports athletes are increasingly showing interest in bitcoin and crypto in general. Ngannou will not be the first sportswoman to receive his salary via btc.
Last November, the American soccer star odell beckham jr. announced a partnership deal with Cash App to receive his $4.25 million salary for the 2021-2022 NFL season in bitcoin.
Featured picture courtesy of MMAFighting.
