Francis Ngannou feels UFC created backstage scene with Ciryl Gane

Francis Ngannou and Ciryl Gane shared an awkward moment backstage at UFC 268. However, the undisputed champ doesn’t believe it happened naturally.

When walking out to find his seat to enjoy the card, Ngannou would walk past Gane and his team who were there cornering Nassourdine Imavov. Clearly ignoring the interim champion and his former head coach, Ngannou shared his side of the viral clip.

“That’s exactly what the UFC was waiting for. When you look at that video, they were waiting for me around the corner,” Ngannou told The DC Check-In (h/t MMA Fighting). “It’s not like they wanted the story, the bad blood – they created that [scene]. … What happened is there was this lady taking us to our seat, [my manager] Marquel [Martin] and I, and she was bringing us to this section – and then they talked to her over the radio. Then she was like, ‘Oh, sorry, I’m wrong,’ so she turned around and we get back [and they were there].”

In UFC 270’s main event on Jan. 22 in Anaheim, California, Francis Ngannou (16-3) will look to make his first title defense against the undefeated 10-0 Gane.

“Tell me how this gets to be a coincidence,” Ngannou continued, laughing along with Cormier. “That’s what happened. I’m telling you what happened. … And when you look, by the time I come from [around] the corner, the guy was ready with camera. If you watch that video, he was on me by the time I turned around the corner and just zoomed in on me, like, ‘Oh, he’s there, he’s coming.’ Like this movie scene. He was there waiting for [me].

“It’s not like you see somebody and you’re like, ‘Oh damn, let me film this moment.’ No, come on. His camera wasn’t just there waiting to film something if ever something happened. No, he was waiting like he knew who’s coming. He knew that I was coming.”