Dana White seems to have snubbed Francis Ngannou on multiple levels after the Cameroonian retained his world heavyweight title last night.
The UFC heavyweight champion entered as an underdog against Ciryl Gane at UFC 270, and has been at odds with the promotion's boss White for a number of months over his contract.
White had previously told Ngannou that he was free to leave the promotion, assuming he were to lose against Gane at the first pay-per-view of the year.
But when Ngannou defended his belt by beating the Frenchman over a five-round unanimous decision, White refused to put the belt around his waist, as is tradition for world title bouts.
And he has also opted not to appear at the post-fight press conference, an almost unheard of occurrence following such a massive PPV event.
Ngannou has been angling for a better contract with the promotion since becoming champion, earning just $600,000 as a guarantee to defend his title against an unbeaten interim champion in Gane.
And he admitted that he was unsure of where he stands with the promotion after White's latest snub following his victory.
"I don't know, you'd have to ask him," Ngannou told reporters at the post-fight press conference about White's refusal to present him with the belt or appear in front of the media.
"I didn't have anything to do with that, it was their decision and I want to ask about that.
"It's been a long time I've been wondering about my future in the company so I'm still in the same position.
"It's not simply about money; money is a part of it but it is also the terms of the contract, I don't feel like it's fair and I don't feel like I'm free.
"It's unfortunate I have to be in this position but I think everyone should have the right to claim what is best for them.
"We put a lot of work into this job and we take a lot on our bodies to make it happen so we should have a fair and square deal."
Ngannou was paid well shy of seven-figures as a guarantee for his defence against Gane, which was the third pay-per-view headliner of his career.
What did you make of Francis Ngannou's win over Ciryl Gane? Let us know your thoughts in the comments section below!
It's a far cry from the tens of millions Tyson Fury reportedly earned for his trilogy bout with Deontay Wilder, which took place on the same platform in the United States in a similar-size venue.
White and Ngannou have been at odds for a long time over his contract situation, although the UFC president has said he expects the deal to be sorted out soon.
"I've been in contract drama for 20 years with people," White told TMZ before the fight. "It's part of the business.
"I honestly don't know where we'll end up after Saturday.
"We'll see how the fight goes, we'll see what happens and I'm sure we'll figure it out one way or another."
White later said he "didn't blame" Ngannou for their issues, instead slamming the "not so very smart people that surround him," likely referencing his management team at CAA.
