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Tito Ortiz has congratulated Francis Ngannou following his victory over Ciryl Gane at UFC 270. The UFC Hall-of-Famer took to Twitter to show his support towards the heavyweight champ and praised him for standing his ground and demanding better pay from the promotion.
According to Ortiz, Ngannou isn't just fighting for an improved contract but for a more secure future for MMA fighters. Ortiz pointed out, however, that the UFC apparently tried to "erase" him from their history books for trying to stand his ground in the past.
"@francis_ngannou Congrats on the fight and standing your ground for the future of all #MMA fighters. I did it and they tried to erase me from the UFC’s history books. I hope they don’t the same to you," Ortiz wrote.
Tito Ortiz and Dana White were involved in a very public feud with one another when the 'Huntington Beach Bad Boy' was still competing for the UFC. White managed Ortiz back in the day and shared a good rapport with him. However, their relationship fell apart once he became UFC president following the Zuffa takeover.
The bad blood between the pair got to such a point that they'd decided to settle the rivalry inside the boxing ring. That fight, however, never took place.
What does the future hold for Francis Ngannou?
Francis Ngannou's future in the UFC is in serious doubt despite 'The Predator' retaining the heavyweight title this past weekend. Ngannou is in the midst of an ongoing contract dispute with the promotion. He has been demanding an increase in pay to continue fighting inside the octagon.
Dana White added fuel to the fire by deciding to skip the UFC 270 post-fight press conference. The UFC president also did not put the belt around Francis Ngannou's waist following the win. Speaking to the media following the fight, Ngannou said he's been treated unfairly by the promotion and only wants fair compensation for the risks he takes every time he steps inside the cage.
"It’s not simply money. Obviously money is part of it but it’s also the term of the contract that I don’t agree with it. I don’t feel like it’s fair. I don’t feel like I’m a free man. I don’t feel like I have been treated good. It’s unfortunate I have to be in this position to be able to say that but I think it’s something that everybody should at least have the right to claim for what’s best for him. At the end of the day, we put a lot of work in this job. We take a lot on our body to make it happen. So at least we can have a fair and square deal,” Ngannou said.
Check out the UFC 270 post-fight press conference below:
