Dana White has finally addressed why he didn't wrap the UFC title around Francis Ngannou's waist following his victory over Ciryl Gane at UFC 270.
White was nowhere to be seen inside the Octagon after Ngannou earned a hard-fought win over Gane in the main-event of UFC 270 last weekend.
Instead, UFC matchmaker Mick Maynard put the UFC heavyweight title on Ngannou, who himself didn't understand why the UFC president didn't do his normal gig.
But White has explained why he didn't present 'The Predator' with the belt, claiming he had 'stuff going' on at the back that needed dealing with.
"I actually walked out of the arena right after the co-main event because there was stuff going on that I was dealing with," he said.
He also rejected the idea that he was disrespecting Ngannou following their beef regarding the UFC fighter's ongoing contract situation.
White added: "For anybody to think I was showing any type of disrespect toward Francis, I saw Francis all week, you idiots. I shook his hand. I said hi to him.
"I was out there for the staredowns, the whole thing. So, for anybody to think that there was some type of disrespect toward Francis, I wasn’t out there for Michael Bisping vs. (Luke) Rockhold’s fight, either, because I was dealing with some stuff.
"I sprinted from the back. I didn’t even have my jacket on. I only had my shirt on to go and put the belt on Bisping, but I couldn’t make it out there to put the belt on Francis."
Ngannou fought out his contract at UFC 270, but the champion's clause means he owes the promotion another fight.
But that clause expires at the end of the year, which will pave the way for free agency.
Of course, the 35-year-old has expressed his interest in boxing Tyson Fury.
Will Ngannou remain in the UFC or venture into the sport of boxing? Watch this space.
Featured Image Credit: UFC/ESPNTopics: Francis Ngannou, Dana White, UFC
Nasir Jabbar