Fernand Lopez says Francis Ngannou "not smart" to dispute with the UFC, claims 'The Predator' has a history of "taking over" negotiations

Francis Ngannou's former head coach Fernand Lopez has made it clear he isn't proud of the heavyweight champion's tactics amid his ongoing contract dispute with the UFC.

Lopez, who parted ways with Ngannou in 2018, believes 'The Predator' isn't being smart by refusing to concede to the UFC's terms. In an interview with Submission Radio, Lopez was asked if he was proud of his former student for essentially turning himself into the posterboy of fighter empowerment. The MMA Factory head coach replied:

"I'm not at all because it's not smart. Let me be clear, like, the thing [is] everyone in this job is looking to get more money. But again the one thing that you have to understand everything when you're the one who wants to change things. I really believe that you can change things by being good on negotiation. Being good on negotiation means that you understand your value and you understand how you become that valuable and [what it took] you to get there. Once people understand that, it's easy to negotiate."

Fernand Lopez comments on Francis Ngannou's dispute with the UFC:

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Fernand Lopez backs the UFC amid contract dispute with Francis Ngannou

Fernand Lopez defended the UFC's position on the hot-button issue of fighter pay. According to the Cameroonian trainer, the UFC is well within its rights to pay fighters however they see fit. He said:

"First of all, you need to understand that the UFC is not a non-profit organization. It's not a government organization, it's a private company. And when I'm a private company, I'll do whatever I want to do. I want to pay you $1, I'll pay you $1. If you want [that], you walk away. If you sign the f***ing contract, you stick to the contract. That's it. Period."

He added:

"And then, if you decide that you want to renegotiate, that's as possibility. But again, the negotiation will find a good place whenever you give something and you take something. If you want to take over, that's the problem. Francis has been having this problem everytime with everyone on negotiations. Taking over, over and over."

On Saturday, Lopez will be in Ciryl Gane's corner for his title bid against 'The Predator' at UFC 270. It will be Ngannou's first title defense since capturing the crown against Stipe Miocic at UFC 260.