Dana White: No ‘Disrespect’ to Francis Ngannou After UFC 270 Controversy

Dana White isn’t looking to escalate any potential feud with Francis Ngannou.

UFC president Dana White said Wednesday he did not mean to “disrespect” Francis Ngannou as he missed the post-match ceremony after UFC 270. 

Ngannou secured the heavyweight title belt as he defeated Ciryl Gane on Saturday night. White traditionally places the belt on the winner of a given match, though on Saturday, he was absent from the post-fight news conference. 

White said Wednesday he didn't attend the ceremony because he “had something to deal with backstage,” per ESPN. 

“For anybody that thinks I was showing any kind of disrespect towards Francis, I saw Francis all week, you idiots,” White told interviewer Laura Sanko on ESPN+. “I shook his hand, I said hi to him. I was out there for the stare-downs, the whole thing.”

White and Ngannou have been involved in a dispute regarding the fighter’s contract for much of the last year, in part over a clause that prevents Ngannou from boxing professionally. 

Ngannou will likely be out for extended time regardless of his contract. He needs surgery to repair a damaged MCL and ACL in his right leg, with the recovery process slated to last roughly nine months.