Francis Ngannou and the UFC continue to have major friction in their relationship.
Ngannou recently defended his heavyweight title after outpointing Ciryl Gane over five rounds in their UFC 270 headliner on Saturday night.
A big talking point going into the fight was whether it would be Ngannou’s last as “The Predator” has not only criticized the UFC for its poor fighter pay, but also hinted at leaving the UFC and entering the boxing world.
UFC president Dana White was certainly not impressed. That was made even more evident when he wasn’t even present to wrap the belt around Ngannou’s waist following his victory.
In fact, White didn’t even show up to the night’s post-fight press conference as he usually does.
Francis Ngannou: UFC Said They Were Going To Sue My Manager
Whether White had a legitimate reason remains to be seen as of now. But going by how things stand, him and Ngannou don’t look like they’ll be exchanging pleasantries anytime soon.
That might be even more so the case after the champion revealed his manager Marquel Martin received an email from the UFC stating they were going to sue him — all while they were heading into the arena on Saturday night.
The reason? For allegedly talking to Jake Paul’s manager Nakisa Bidarian about potential boxing opportunities.
“Going into this fight, going into the arena, I put on my suit and I walked into the room waiting for my manager and my coach they were like ‘Wow!’ And I asked them what was going on and they told me that they just received an email from the UFC saying they were going to sue him for talking to this guy named Nakisa,” Ngannou revealed on The MMA Hour on Monday (via MMA Mania).
“So I asked who this guy was, and they said they didn’t know him too much but that he was from Jake Paul’s team. I asked if it was the promoter and they said no. But, once again I don’t know. It doesn’t look like they want to talk to me anymore.”
It will be interesting to hear what White has to say about this in the coming days.
But one thing is for sure — Ngannou faces a huge battle in the coming months. But it’s one that could benefit his fellow fighters if it contributes to getting higher pay for everyone.
You can watch the full interview below:
