Waking up to one of the most trending news in top sports “Former UFC heavyweight champion, Francis Ngannou signs with PFL to join PPV super fight division“, once again the baddest man on the planet is shaking the MMA world to its core.
It is no secret that Francis Ngannou is an embodiment of the tiger mentality, especially after defeating Cyrille Gane to retain his title as the former UFC heavyweight champion last year on the 22nd of January 2022. Francis didn’t just win the fight, he won much more than that. He won a mental challenge, a physical challenge, a business challenge, a freedom challenge, an identity challenge, and a greatness challenge.
It is over a year since the fight, he didn’t sign a new deal with the UFC, and lots of speculations happening about his future and where he would be heading next. While others were speculating, Francis was calculating and preparing his big move quietly. I want to point out a few tiger lessons from Francis’s move to the PFL.
PATIENCE
A tiger has a lot of patience, when it has a target, it can stay for as long as possible to get to that target. There could be other options before it, but it will scan and make sure it aligns with what it wants. Francis surely had many offers, but he was patient enough to wait for the deal that met his expectations.
VALUE
The tiger knows it is value, that’s why it doesn’t sell itself short. A tiger prefers to be alone than to be where it is not valued. Francis chose to work with the PFL because they value fighters and put them first. The best thriving sustainable businesses are those that put their clients first.
FREEDOM
A tiger can interact but it’s very careful not to lose its independence. Once a tiger finds itself in a place or position where it is freedom is threatened, it will fight hard to regain and maintain it. Freedom is not cheap, it is costly and if you don’t stand for it, most people would love to have you under their control.
If there is one main thing Francis always mentioned concerning the kind of new contract he will sign, was that he wanted to be free to make his own choices and have control over his career. Not only has he achieved that, but he has also positioned himself as an advocate for other fighters.
CONTROL
Most people don’t know that tigers have quite a long tail. A tiger’s long tail is not for beauty or decoration. It is for balance and control. The power, strength, and speed a tiger exerts on the move require lots of control, otherwise, it will go off balance and crash.
My wife said to me after many lessons in business, ” I will never invest my money in any business I don’t have control over and decide how things operate. Francis made sure in his new deal, he positioned himself as a decision-maker, a chairman of the business franchise, and an equity holder. Now that is how you ROAR as a tiger!
Which of these lessons resonates with where you are at the moment? Never forget that: you have the power, the strength, and the courage to achieve your dream and become the best version of yourself. This is tiger mentality!