Ngannou and Jake Paul put Dana White and the UFC in check

The figure of Jake Paul has strongly shaken the world of contact sports, especially boxing and mixed martial arts. The internet celebrity has managed to create a million dollar business through his exhibitions in the form of combat with celebrities and now he is storming the UFC. He does it hand in hand -or taking advantage- of the figure of Francis Ngannou, the current heavyweight champion who refused in his day to extend the contract he had with the organization despite strong pressure from its president, Dana White. In a few months he will be free.

White, hurt, did not even go to deliver the top-flight champion belt to the 35-year-old Cameroonian despite the fact that his fight against the undefeated Gane was the main one on the UFC270 poster, "one of the biggest fights for the title of the heavyweights in the history of mixed martial arts (MMA)", announced the organization itself. Starting in December, when five years of his contract have expired, he will be free to fight anyone, as long as his rival is freed from the yoke of the UFC. Despite the clause that forces the champions to expose his belt one more time if the organization considers it, it does not appear that White is going to give him another dollar if he does not renew.

Ngannou's position is somewhat better than that of Octagon legend Jon 'Bones' Jones, who said enough to risk his health for a handful of dollars while the UFC and his president pocketed millions. So far they have been adamant about shutting out any star if they don't jump through the hoops on their contracts. Jones, with his 'abusive' deal in place, has not fought again.

Ngannou, on the contrary, risked it and did not renew when he pointed out ways and already at the top no one has been able to unseat him. With his fight against Ciryl Gane, his relationship with the UFC ended 'de facto', renouncing the 7 million dollars that White had put on the table in a five-year contract. A figure that is tempting enough for almost anyone, but that the Cameroonian, who arrived in France after an odyssey in a small boat and who lived as a pauper in Paris, had the courage to reject. He trusted himself and now his price is much higher given the bags that people like Floyd Mayweather or Jake Paul himself, a youtuber turned boxer (and with very good manners by the way), handle because of the exhibitions.

If throughout the spectacular evening of the UFC270 the fighters pocketed a shared total of 1.8 million dollars, 600,000 for Ngannou, far behind are the 50 million dollars shared from Fury Vs Wilder, for example, or the 30 that Conor McGregor took for his exhibition against Mayweather, who took 100.

Ngannou has the support of Jake Paul, who continues to mercilessly pummel Dana White, designated as the person most responsible for that policy of giving crumbs to the protagonists of the octagon to keep them 'hungry' and to accept his decisions while he pockets millions. Rumors are on the horizon of a possible boxing match against Paul himself, or against another of his supporters, such as world heavyweight champion Tyson Fury. The Cameroonian will win much more than he gave up. And also Paul.

The internet celebrity announced this week that he had bought shares with his partner Geoffrey Woo of Endeavor Group Holdings (EDR), the company that owns the UFC that has seen its stock market value drop 19 percent from the beginning of January until the youtuber announced his investment. In a tweet Paul, convinced only of investments in which he can generate a "positive impact", assured that his intention is to "increase the salary of the UFC fighters and provide them with medical care." To do this, according to various sources, he is in talks with other investors to achieve a common front against White, whom he continues to mercilessly poke on social networks and who is once again in check after winning the pulse of several octagon icons. Jake Paul intends to blow up the UFC and Dana White from within.