The simmering feud between the UFC and one of its biggest stars shows no signs of slowing down.
Heavyweight champion Francis Ngannou has taken another shot at the UFC, a couple of days after retaining his heavyweight title against the more fancied Cyril Gane, further clouding his future with the company.
Things were pretty clouded to begin with going into the fight with Gane as Ngannou’s relationship with the promotion hit an all-time low.
LIVE UPDATES: Nadal steps in after opponent makes wild umpire claim
READ MORE: Former Olympic gymnastics champion dies from COVID-19
READ MORE: Junior boxing champ shock contender for Newcastle Knights
So much so, UFC boss Dana White snubbed Ngannou by opting not to enter the cage and put the belt around his waist after his win over Gane, as is customary at title fights in the UFC.
And, the UFC president and owner was a notable no-show at the post-fight press conference, something seldom seen in recent memory after a momentous event such as a heavyweight title fight.
At the centre of Ngannou’s dispute with the company is money. Ngannou said in the lead up to the Gane bout he will no longer fight for $600,000 per fight, and has openly discussed getting in the boxing ring. Watching the likes of Fury and Deontay Wilder earn $20-25 million per bout as heavyweight boxers has further emboldened Ngannou’s stance to fight under a new contract.
The win over Gane ensured his UFC contract was extended for another three fights or one year via the championship clause.
Speaking on the MMA Hour, Ngannou said he wasn’t “fazed” by White’s no-show after his win.
“Bro, I don’t care about that — what’s the difference?” he said.
“I made my point. That could have not even bring the belt, I would be OK with it. I’m not here to go after another thing, this happened, that happened. I’m happy. That’s all that matters.”
The 35-year-old said he’s already left millions on the table but there are other things that irk him with the UFC contract.
“The money was tempting, it was good, but this is not just about money,” he said.
“Just money cannot fix this situation. I don’t believe that.
“The term of the contract, everything that they put into, they hold you in captivity.
“You can’t do anything. You have no rights. The contract is one-sided, although you still don’t have nothing. You don’t even have health insurance, even while you’re putting your body on the line to provide to put on the show.
“You’re risking everything. There’s a lot of things. We have no insurance. Nothing. No guarantee, which I understand as an independent contractor, but treat me as such, if I am.
“Whether I’m going to be an employee or an independent contractor, make it very clear in the contract. It’s very mixed up.
“That’s probably the thing that I hated most about this, how they hold all the cards, the power to just destroy you. As soon as you don’t say yes, they just take you down.
“There’s something wrong with me with those kind of things, that I just can’t take it.”
Ngannou may sit out the remainder of his contract until it expires leaving his future up in the air.
The UFC will strip him of his belt if he does so, however, the heavyweight star said he’s not worried “because at the end of the day, it’s just a belt,” he said.
For a daily dose of the best of the breaking news and exclusive content from Wide World of Sports, subscribe to our newsletter by clicking here!