The Dana White-Francis Ngannou snub explained

The MMA might be full of elite athletes, but ultimately, it’s just a job like any other. This includes office politics that can spill over in very public ways. It appears that such a fate has befallen UFC 270 heavyweight champion Francis Ngannou and UFC President Dana White, as spectators and fans around the nation are weighing in on more than just the bout itself. What happened to pull White away from the fighter’s belt handover?

Let’s see what White and some of his former fighters have to say about the incident.

The snub

At UFC 270, Ngannou fought against Ciryl Gane to defend his heavyweight title. He did this successfully, ultimately winning the fight and earning his belt once more. However, instead of wrapping the belt around Ngannou’s waist after the win, as is customary, White decided to skip the event altogether and allow Mick Maynard, the matchmaker, to congratulate the champion.

Even more surprising was White’s absence at the post-fight press conference. This move seems especially conspicuous given Ngannou’s lack of knowledge about the issue. While he obviously couldn’t miss White skipping the belt handover, Ngannou seemed surprised and hurt to find out that his boss had also skipped the conference and neglected to do any of the usual press duties.

White’s explanation

For his part, White is adamant that no disrespect occurred. He blames the absence on “stuff going on backstage” and suggests that those believing that he was intentionally disrespecting Ngannou were “idiots”. This explanation has not been well-received by most, particularly when it came to light that he had not bothered to reach out to Ngannou and explain his non-attendance.

UFC fights are not as simple as logging in and playing your favorite casino game in real time – they require intense training and physical skill to win, whereas playing at an online casino could not be easier. It is therefore surprising that White refuses to give a more detailed explanation, given how flippant he seems in the face of Ngannou’s hard work.

Former UFC fighters weigh in

While former UFC fighters are somewhat divided on the reason behind White missing both post-match events, they are united in their surprise that it happened.

Brendan Schaub believed that the absence was clearly meant to disrespect the champion and shared his distaste of the situation online. He puts the conflict down to ego and the unwillingness of White to consider something outside the box and allowing Ngannou to pursue boxing while with the UFC.

Al Iaquinta is similarly disbelieving that something as simple as “stuff” could have kept White from congratulating Ngannou just as he has everyone else. While the fighter believes that there is more to the story, however, he does not ascribe White’s actions to malice and insists that there must have been something serious happening behind the scenes. He believes that a more comprehensive explanation is necessary to put the issue to rest.

The Ngannou-Gane fight

While the potential drama might be entertaining, the fight itself deserves its fair share of discussion. It was an interesting match where Ngannou’s victory was not at all guaranteed. In fact, the bout began with Gane doing well against Ngannou’s technique for a solid two rounds despite the other fighter’s impressive power and talent.

The match was always going to be more interesting than a one-sided win, however, and Ngannou rose to the occasion in a big way. He dominated the Octagon for three additional rounds, stepping in to control his opponent and ultimately take the victory. While the start of the match might have seemed shaky to some people, it is not at all surprising given Ngannou’s knee injury one month prior.

Ngannou successfully defended his heavyweight title, and it is a shame that he did not receive the respect and ceremony typical of such a win. This is especially true now that the fight might be the last that the champion participates in with the UFC.

Ngannou’s future

Despite an impressive career to date, capped by a unanimous win at UFC 270, Ngannou is not sure what the future holds. It is no secret that he and White have had clashes over the past year as the fighter holds out for a better contract before agreeing to re-sign with the organization.

There are two main issues that give Ngannou pause. First, he believes that he is worth more money that he is currently receiving. This is a fair criticism given the growth that his career has experienced over the past few years. However, the UFC does not necessarily see it the same way. Ngannou has stated that he won’t fight for $600,000 or less ever gain, especially when he is not given adequate opportunities to get in the Octagon and make money.

Over the past three years, the athlete has fought only three times, and while $600,000 might seem like an incredible salary for some people, Ngannou pointed out that UFC fighters deal with a lot of wear and tear to their bodies to rise to the top of the sport. Add in training expenses and medical expenses with family needs, and it is not difficult to see why a single fight a year might not be worth it for the athlete.

The second, and perhaps more important, issue behind Ngannou holding out for a new contract is boxing. He grew up dreaming of being a boxer, and while he has enjoyed his time in the Octagon, he is ready to spend more time in the ring. Ideally, Ngannou would like to pursue boxing while remaining with, and fighting for, the UFC. White has thus far been disinclined to add provisions for boxing into the fighter’s contract, and the two seem to be at a stalemate for the time being.

Between surgery to repair his knee and the continuing contract dispute, Ngannou could conceivably sit out for the rest of the year until contract expiry.

What do you think of the Ngannou vs White situation?