Francis Ngannou faced a number of well-documented distractions ahead of UFC 270 , but revealed another that occurred just hours before heading to the Honda Center to defend his title. The undisputed UFC heavyweight champion said the promotion threatened to sue his agent, Marquel Martin of CAA Sports, for engaging in talks with Jake Paul ’s business partner, Nakisa Bidarian, about a potential boxing match. “They told me they just received an email from the UFC saying they’re going to sue him (Martin) for talking with this guy, Nakisa,” Ngannou said on “The MMA Hour.”  “I’m like, ‘Who is Nakisa?’ …I’m like, ‘Is he the promoter or something?’” Bidarian, who is the co-founder of Paul’s Most Valuable Promotions company and former UFC CFO, was recently challenged by UFC president Dana White to start his own promotion along with Paul after criticism of the UFC’s fighter pay. Ngannou said the email came as he preparing to head to the arena just hours before the fight. According to ESPN , a person with knowledge of the situation confirmed the timing and contents of the email.