UFC heavyweight champion Francis Ngannou has criticised Dana White's justification of the interim title.
Cyril Gane and Derrick Lewis, heavy hitters, will be vying for the belt on Sunday morning. This is just five months after Ngannou took the strap from Stipe Milocic's hands.
At UFC 265 Ciryl Gane and Derrick Lewis will be competing for the interim title of heavyweight at UFC 265
White supported the decision by comparing the unification bout to the "old days" of boxing's legendary unification fights.
Cameroon's Ngannou was baffled by the explanation, and he told Sirius XM's Jimmy Smith that he had heard something like "It's going be like IBF/WBC unified titles."
"No, there isn't a single title. It's only one promotion. It's the UFC belt.
"It doesn't have a different name, like the PFL challenging the UFC. Then we talk about unifying the belt.
"I went there expecting to fight and they just came up with some kind of interim title.
"That was quite surprising, as in the past we didn’t get an interim title because Stipe didn’t actively consider it and wasn’t even considering it. They were not interested in discussing it.
"It looks like nothing good is coming to me at this point.
"They don't make any good things happen for me.
"It's okay, but at this point concerning my last run, it seems that I should at least be treated as a UFC champion.
"I've been down. I know my low times. And I face them."
Ngannou is the UFC's first African-born champion. He has not heard from promotion since telling them that he could not fight this weekend.
The Predator stated: "It's radio silence.
"I hope they won't come out and say, Oh, you're fighting that day.' And then I'm like, ‘It doesn’t make sense.
"Then they're like: 'Oh, that he doesn’t want to fight.' I won’t do it again because apparently they are very good at this kind of thing.
CHAMPING AT THE BIT
Ngannou hoped his first defense of the title would be against Jon Jones, former light-heavyweight champion. Jones is currently involved in a bitter dispute over pay with the promotion.
The 34-year old knows that a showdown against Bones is unlikely anytime soon, and is now focusing on his regular routine of protecting his belt.
He stated that he would choose Jon Jones to fight him if he asked.
"But, we all know Jon Jones won't fight anytime soon and I don’t want to wait for him."
"That shouldn't be my schedule. I want fight and, as a champion, to defend my title.
"But I just want it to be right for me. That's it. It doesn't really matter who it might be.
"When you are champion, it is easy to assume you can fight all the competitors."
It doesn't matter what order they are in. They're going up against you.
"If they are a legitimate contender, you must fight them. It is not your decision.
