UFC Champ Francis ‘The Predator’ Ngannou to Take Half his Purse in Bitcoin

This weekend at UFC 270 in Anaheim, California, heavyweight champ Francis “The Predator” Ngannou defends his title against former sparring partner and undefeated French interim champ Cyril Gane. Betting underdog Ngannou is the one capturing most of the limelight after announcing he would take half of his purse in bitcoin.

Ngannou Sees Bitcoin as the Future

The African-born knockout artist has a truly inspirational story, having started working at age 10 in a sand quarry, ending up in a Spanish jail and then living on the streets of Paris while trying to pursue a career in boxing.

Despite reaching superstar status in mixed martial arts (MMA) circles, Ngannou first caught the eye of Bitcoiners only last week when he tweeted:

His purse for this weekend’s 25 minutes or less bout is estimated at US$750,000, excluding win or sponsorship bonuses. At a minimum, the bitcoin portion of Ngannou’s earnings would represent US$375,000 (or 8.87 BTC, based on the current price of US$42, 287).

Given his humble upbringing, it should come as no surprise that the champ appreciates the value of inflation-resistant savings technology, and its capacity to transform the plight of everyday Africans.

Paid in Bitcoin, a Growing Trend?

As infrastructure and tech solutions proliferate, it has become increasingly simple to pay and get paid in bitcoin. In the US, for example, the Strike app (among others) has enabled employees to receive a portion of their salary in bitcoin through automatic dollar-cost-average buys. This has been embraced by people from all walks of life, from ordinary workers to elite athletes:

Closer to home, Australian employees can also get paid in bitcoin through fintech company Living Room of Satoshi, which offers workers the option for any percentage of their wage to be paid directly to their Bitcoin Lightning wallet.