UFC 270 takes place on Saturday, headlined by heavyweight champion Francis Ngannou making his first title defense. His opponent is undefeated interim champ Ciryl Gane, and this meeting will unify the two belts–yet the topic of discussion entering the bout has strayed from the fight.
Ngannou wants a new contract. If he loses the title to Gane, then he also loses a great deal of leverage in his negotiations. But if he knocks Gane out and continues this dominant run, it opens up a world of opportunity for him–and undoubtedly leads to an extremely interesting post-fight press conference.