Coach Eric Nicksick on Dana White refusing to put the belt on Francis Ngannou at UFC 270 - "It was kind of a weak move"
Francis Ngannou's coach Eric Nicksick feels Dana White should've wrapped the belt around the Cameroonian's waist following his victory over Ciryl Gane at UFC 270.
During a recent appearance on The MMA Hour, Nicksick revealed that Ngannou and White had been trying to mend their relationship in the weeks leading up to UFC 270. The Xtreme Couture head coach referred to the UFC president's decision to snub the heavyweight champion's crowning moment as a "weak move."
Nicksick said:
"I wish he would've taken the high road and gone in and done it. The last couple of weeks, Dana and Francis have been mending things. Those two have been trying to get better and heal that relationship. So for him to not be there. I don't know his reasons why. I don't know if he got... all of a sudden he could've had a stomach issue or something. But for him to not be there, I just thought it was kind of a weak move."
Watch Eric Nicksick's full interview on The MMA Hour below:
Francis Ngannou is in the middle of a contract dispute with the UFC. Ngannou has shared that he will renew his contract if the new deal comprises a pay rise and allows him to compete in professional boxing bouts while still under contract.
Ngannou's current deal is set to expire in December this year. Dana White has expressed his displeasure with the heavyweight champion's representation in the past. The Cameroonian fighter is represented by CAA, one of the two biggest agencies in the world along with Endeavor — the UFC's parent company. There is bad blood between the two firms.
In case you missed it, that's matchmaker Mick Maynard putting the belt around #AndStill Champion Francis Ngannou. Let the conspiracy theories commence.
#UFC270 https://t.co/MTCO9iAt7U
The UFC forced Francis Ngannou to sign a new contract after defeating Junior dos Santos
En route to his rematch with Stipe Miocic, Francis Ngannou took on Junior dos Santos in the main event of UFC on ESPN 3 in 2019. 'The Predator' stopped the former champion in the first round with a trademark TKO finish.
Ngannou claimed that the UFC forced him to sign a contract shortly after this win. During his conversation with Ariel Helwani on The MMA Hour, the heavyweight champion said:
“Like, I’ve been in this position. They’ve put me in this position. And I felt powerless for so long. And I realized that this shouldn’t happen. This is not right and shouldn’t be happening. You know, even after the JDS [Junior dos Santos] fight, they wanted me to sign a contract. And I didn’t want to sign a contract by that time. And they just tried to freeze me. Like, put you down for 10 months, 11 months, get you go out of money."
Watch Francis Ngannou's appearance on The MMA Hour below:
It remains to be seen whether Francis Ngannou and the UFC will come to terms. The Cameroonian's penchant for vicious knockouts, coupled with his much-improved wrestling, makes him one of the most marketable fighters on the roster.