Brendan Schaub on Dana White not putting belt around Francis Ngannou after UFC 270 - "Kind of a b***h move"
Brendan Schaub has hit out at UFC president Dana White for the manner in which he behaved after the UFC 270 main event.
The main event saw Francis Ngannou take on Ciryl Gane in a heavyweight title unification bout. Ngannou got the job done in the end as he celebrated his first title defense.
After the fight was over, Mick Maynard was the man who put the belt on Ngannou as opposed to Dana White - indicating a potential rift between them. This was further emphasized when White failed to show up for the post-fight press conference.
Brendan Schaub, who has had his own issues with White in the past, recently shared his thoughts on what went down.
“I have no ill will towards Dana, I just think when it comes to this stuff, whether Francis leaves or Izzy were to leave or Conor were to leave, name anybody you want, you still won, Dana. If I’m his right hand man, I’m his assistant, and we’re sitting cageside next to each other and Francis won, and Dana was like, ‘F*** it, I’m not going out there man, I’m not doing this.' I’d go, 'Hey, dude, can I talk to you real quick - you’re worth $400 million. You’ve won. By you doing this, you’re not helping anybody, it’s kind of a b***h move. So could you just get in there?'”
Last Saturday night, Francis Ngannou defeated Ciryl Gane to successfully retain his UFC heavyweight title. The win came via some really nice adjustments in the third round. 'The Predator' engaged in some grappling work and wrestling that allowed him to neutralize 'Bon Gamin' after two rounds of the challenger getting the better of the champion on the feet.
Watch Brendan Schaub discuss UFC 270 and more below:
Why did Dana White conduct himself this way?
Dana White sticks to his word with regards to fighter pay and his stance on that has been made pretty clear. As a result, he's rubbed a lot of fighters the wrong way - which includes UFC heavyweight champion Francis Ngannou.
The 35-year-old had been appearing on various talk shows and podcasts in the build-up to UFC 270, as well as in the days following the event.
He hasn't been shy about letting the world know what he thinks about how the UFC has treated him, which is always bound to upset someone like White.
Ngannou's contract expires at the end of the year but he'll likely spend a decent amount of time on the sidelines after his MCL injury. The champion confirmed he came into UFC 270 carrying an injured knee in the post-fight interview.
There is a real possibility that Ngannou could walk away from the UFC if a new contract is not finalized.