The announcement that an interim heavyweight title is being introduced at UFC 265 just three months after Francis Ngannou became champion led to a heated exchange between Ngannou’s agent and UFC president Dana White.
The disagreement on social media occurred after Derrick Lewis was booked against Ciryl Gane with an interim title on the line in the UFC 265 main event on Aug. 7. Originally, the UFC wanted to book Lewis vs. Ngannou on that date but the current heavyweight champion took time off following his second-round knockout over Stipe Miocic to return home to visit friends and family in Cameroon.