UFC heavyweight king Francis Ngannou has responded to claims from Fernand Lopez that he once prevented Ciryl Gane from signing with the promotion.

Next month at UFC 270, we’ll see former training partners Francis Ngannou and Ciryl Gane collide with the UFC heavyweight championship on the line. These two men have been on a collision course for quite some time and they’re set to finally put an end to what some would call an unlikely rivalry.

Fernand Lopez has been at the heart of the problem and recently, he helped to fuel the fire even more by insinuating Ngannou once suggested to the UFC that Gane wasn’t quite ready to join the company.

In response, “The Predator” didn’t hold back in shooting down such speculation.

“And recently, I saw something about him. They sent me something like, which his coach said about me – Fernand [Lopez] – He said I told [UFC matchmaker] Mick [Maynard] that Ciryl is good but not that good or something like that. I’m like, ‘Man. This, like; this nasty.’ You know, this is not a fair game anymore. It’s not a fair game anymore. Like, I understand this position is not; you want to take everything, you want to destroy somebody. But to go after him like that, associate other people; I mean, I think this is evil. You know, but I know the man, and I know how it processed.”

Quotes via Sportskeeda

For now, all Ngannou can do is continue to prepare for one of the biggest fights of his life as Gane comes after the belt.

Who do you think is telling the truth about the alleged Ciryl Gane incident – Francis Ngannou or Fernand Lopez? Who will walk away with the belt at UFC 270? Let us know your thoughts down in the comments, BJPENN Nation!