Who is Mick Maynard, UFC's matchmaker who presented Francis Ngannou with the belt?

Mick Maynard is the vice-president of talent relations for the UFC. He works as a matchmaker for the organization alongside Sean Shelby.

Maynard, who has been involved in the MMA business since 2006, was hired by the UFC four years ago as a talent relations executive. He has also served as the vice-president of the Houston-based MMA promotion, Legacy Fighting Championship.

Maynard's name was circulating on social media in the aftermath of UFC 270. He wrapped the UFC heavyweight belt around Francis Ngannou following his victory over Ciryl Gane, a gesture that usually involves Dana White.

White spoke about Maynard after the UFC onboarded him in 2017. In an interview with UFC.com, the UFC president said:

“I’m excited to have Mick on board working alongside Sean. Mick has become one of the most respected people in the fight game and he’s done a great job in finding and developing talent. Sean has been a tremendous asset to the UFC for a long time, and I look forward to working with Sean and Mick in the years to come."(Source: UFC.com)

Mick Maynard proved to be a worthy asset for the organization. He was even commended for his contribution towards the reconstructing and rebuilding of the flyweight division, which was nearly dropped by the UFC at one point in time. Speaking about his work with the flyweight division, Dana White said:

“I got to give it to Mick. Mick went in and restructured and rebuilt that division and it’s one of the most exciting divisions in the UFC now. And tonight [at UFC 256 in December 2020] we put on a potential 'Fight of the Year' and potential greatest fight ever in the division’s history [referring to Deiveson Figueiredo vs. Brandon Moreno 1]. So, congrats to Mick."

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Why did Mick Maynard put the belt around Francis Ngannou instead of Dana White?

Francis Ngannou was handed his belt by the UFC's vice president of talent relations Mick Maynard instead of the promotion's president Dana White following his triumph over Ciryl Gane on Saturday.

It is rumored that White snubbed Ngannou due to their ongoing tensions surrounding the Cameroonian's contract negotiations.

Ngannou wants to simultaneously box alongside his MMA career and isn't ready to fight for $500,000-$600,000 paydays anymore. It has been widely reported that White isn't ready to agree to the UFC heavyweight champion's terms and conditions.

Ngannou was just as surprised as everyone else after being informed that the UFC president had snubbed him. Speaking about the same at the post-fight press conference, 'The Predator' said:

"I don't know [why that happened], you have to ask him. I did not have anything to do about that. I think that was their decision. I'm about to ask about that too."

Watch Francis Ngannou's reaction to Dana White's snub below: