Famed combat sports coach Eric Nicksick admits that the fee he received from Francis Ngannou’s fight with Tyson Fury changed his life.

Speaking to MMA Junkie, Nicksick explained that Ngannou’s payout brought him to tears:

“It was the most money I’ve ever been paid by a fighter,” Nicksick said. “It was unbelievable. It was more than I expected. Obviously, Francis [Ngannou] 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.”

Ngannou’s salary for “The Battle of The Baddest” was reportedly around $10 million, with Fury banking around $50 million according to his old foe Derek Chisora. This doesn’t include PPV shares or sponsorships.

By contrast, Ngannou was cashing an estimated $600,000 in his UFC title defense against Ciryl Gane, again not including PPV points.

How Much do MMA / Fight Coaches Make?

For a point of comparison, former UFC fighter Myles Jury breaks down the standard expenses that professional fighters face at the top level.

(Courtesy of Sports Joe)

• Gym Fees: 10% of the purse
• Management Fees: 20% of the purse
• Taxes: 30% roughly.
• Medical Bills, Coaching, Misc all auxiliary expenditures

We can safely say that Nicksick could have received funds from private tuition and a percentage share of Ngannou’s boxing salary. If this was 10%, then we can estimate Nicksick received high six figures if not seven figures for coaching Ngannou.

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