MMA star Khabib Nurmagomedov has hilariously suggested Dana White didn’t strap on Francis Ngannou’s belt because he was in the TOILET. White was mysteriously absent after Ngannou’s successful heavyweight title defence against Ciryl Gane at UFC 270 last month. That meant heavyweight matchmaker Mick Maynard had to put the belt around the champ. It led to rumours that […]
MMA star Khabib Nurmagomedov has hilariously suggested Dana White didn’t strap on Francis Ngannou’s belt because he was in the TOILET.
White was mysteriously absent after Ngannou’s successful heavyweight title defence against Ciryl Gane at UFC 270 last month.
That meant heavyweight matchmaker Mick Maynard had to put the belt around the champ.
It led to rumours that White purposely snubbed Ngannou as controversy rumbles on regarding his UFC contract status.
Khabib amusingly revealed to Sky Sports: “Someone told me he went to the rest room or something like this.
“I don’t know, honestly. I don’t want to go in between these two guys, I think they’re going to take care of this themselves.
“In my position, even if I have in my promotion someone I don’t like and I’m supposed to put a belt on him, this is business.
“I’m going to go, put the belt on him and leave. This is my opinion.”
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White himself rubbished rumours that he had personally fallen out with Ngannou and refused to put the title belt on for him.
But tensions have been mounting between the two camps with the heavyweight champ out of contract with White’s promotion in December.
His victory against Gane was technically the last on his deal, but a champion’s clause means he has to fight in the UFC again.
Ngannou himself is keen to ink a new deal but only if he’s allowed to box alongside his UFC career, and is given a bump up in pay.
Talks have been ongoing for the last six months with a resolution yet to be found.
Khabib added on the contract stand-off: “I know one thing. If you sign a deal and you have a contract, you have to follow through. This is just my opinion.
“I am not against Francis, not against [White] or [the] UFC.
“I don’t know what they have between them but I just want to give advice for fighters, for young fighters: when you guys sign a contract, you guys have to read your contracts.”
