Coach 'Brought to Tears' By Payday From Coaching Ngannou for Boxing Debut

Francis Ngannou’s coach, Eric Nicksick, recently revealed that “The Predator” made sure the effects of his life-changing payday for the boxing match with Tyson Fury were felt by everyone close to him.

The former Ultimate Fighting Championship heavyweight king exited the promotion on Jan. 14, 2023, after a lengthy contract dispute. Ngannou subsequently signed with rival promotion Professional Fighters League and also secured a boxing match with the lineal and WBC heavyweight champion, Tyson Fury. Ngannou not only shocked the world by taking “The Gypsy King” to a controversial split decision but also reportedly earned a $10 million payday, which is more than all of his UFC career earnings combined.

According to Nicksick, the payment he received for helping prepare Ngannou for the Fury fight brought him to tears.

“It was the most money I’ve ever been paid by a fighter – it was unbelievable,” Nicksick told MMAjunkie.com. “It was more than I expected. Obviously, Francis has always taken great care of me, but it floored me. When I saw my Wells Fargo account that morning, it literally brought me to tears. That’s a true story. Literally brought me to tears because he changed my life – not only from a professional standpoint but a monetary standpoint.

“It allowed me a lot of financial freedom to enjoy my coaching, being a dad, and a husband. I get to take my kids to Park City this weekend for my daughter’s 16th birthday. Helped us buy a new car. There are a lot of things with Francis moving over to boxing, and the way he takes care of his team. He loves every single one of us, and he shows it. He takes care of us, and I couldn’t thank him enough.”

Nicksick also noted that he was the assistant coach to Dewey Cooper for Ngannou’s bout against Fury but received more money than for his stints as “The Predator’s” head coach for his two UFC title fights.

“Remember, as his head coach, the two title fights with Stipe [Miocic] and [Ciryl] Gane, he paid me more for the Tyson Fury fight as basically his assistant behind Dewey,” Nicksick said. “I was behind Dewey, and I got paid way more than I did in the Gane and Stipe fights, and he was taking care of me on that, as well, percentage-wise. If he wants to box, man, I’m all for it. All day long, brother.”

While Ngannou is most interested in a rematch against Fury, Nicksick says they aren’t very hopeful considering the Englishman is slated to clash with Oleksandr Usyk on Feb. 17. Ngannou was also in talks about a mixed-rules fight against Deontay Wilder, which has now lost luster following “The Bronze Bomber’s” upset loss to Joseph Parker in December. According to Nicksick, Anthony Joshua, who picked up a stoppage win over Otto Wallin on the same card, is the most viable opponent for Ngannou next from a boxing perspective.