White doesn’t put belt on Ngannou, ditches press conference; Champ responds

Dana White was uncharacteristically absent after the UFC 270 main event.

It’s no secret that Dana White and Francis Ngannou have butted heads and had issues with each other during this latest contract dispute. That’s why the UFC President’s absence after Ngannou’s big win over Ciryl Gane drew some interesting reactions from fans and pundits alike.

White typically enters the cage and presents the UFC title to the winners of championship fights. He did just that for Deiveson Figueiredo, draping the flyweight belt on his shoulder after the UFC 270 co-main event. The UFC President was noticeably absent one fight later though, when it was Ngannou’s turn to get his hand raised and be presented with the title.

To add to that, White was also a no-show at the post-fight press conference, ditching his normal duties of announcing fight night bonuses, and fielding questions about the event’s key bouts.

“I don’t know. You have to ask him. No, I did not have anything to do about that,” Ngannou said about White not putting the belt around his waist. “I think that was their decision. I’m about to ask about that, too.

“Wow, okay, I didn’t know that (he skipped the press conference) too,” Ngannou reacted with a laugh.

Ngannou and his management have had issues with his restrictive contract for a while now. The heavyweight champion says it’s not simply just about money, but also on how he’s been treated during his tenure.

“It’s been a long time I’ve been wondering about my future in the company,” Ngannou said. “So nothing has changed. I’m still in the same position.”