Kamaru Usman and Brendan Schaub question Dana White’s story about Ngannou

He added that fighters — the toughest people in the sport — often feel their only language in moments of deep frustration is physicality.

“When the toughest men on the planet feel disrespected, their way of communicating is through physical action, and this is a by-product of that,” Schaub said. “This is the underbelly of professional cage fighting at the highest level.”

While Schaub made clear he doesn’t view Dana White or Francis Ngannou as “bad guys,” he suggested the dynamic between UFC leadership and fighters has long been volatile, making incidents like this inevitable.

Kamaru Usman doubts Dana White’s version of the altercation

Former welterweight champion Kamaru Usman, a close friend of Ngannou and someone who has always maintained a good relationship with White, expressed scepticism over the CEO’s account.

Speaking on the Pound 4 Pound Podcast, Usman said he struggled to picture Ngannou aggressively confronting White and demanding money, as the retelling implied.

“It’s hard to believe it happened the way it’s being framed,” Usman said. “Francis has that aura — you know not to mess around. But Dana has an aura too. He’s the head of the UFC. I’m not saying it’s false, but it might not have gone down like Dana said.”

As both sides remain publicly silent beyond these reactions, the real story behind the alleged altercation is still unclear. What is clear, however, is that the relationship between the UFC and one of its greatest-ever heavyweights remains as strained as ever — and voices inside the sport are urging caution before accepting any single version of events.