Ultimate Fighting ChampionshipA recent event in Edmonton, Alberta was a message to her children.
Nallo stopped Nate Landwehr at
UFC Edmonton on October 17. Before the match, however, the Canadian lightweight attracted attention by conspicuously picking his nose on stage. He has since explained the gesture.
Mandel Nallo Says His Sons Inspired UFC Edmonton’s Nose Picking Gesture Before Dana White’s Handshake Offer
Nallo said his sons came up with the gesture to acknowledge them while watching. It made for an awkward moment when the UFC CEO Dana White reached out before Nallo’s confrontation with Landwehr. Speaking to Ariel Helwan, Nallo explained that refusing the handshake might have felt disrespectful.
“I have two boys, they’re 5 and 7 … I wanted to let them know I knew they were watching,” Nallo said. “So I said to them, ‘What can I do to make you see that I know you’re watching?’ They told me, “Pick your nose.” I am a dedicated nose picker. I won’t do it half-heartedly. I’m not going to pretend. So, I went there and that was it for them. I am right-handed. I’m going to go up there with my right hand and then (Dana White) will put his hand out to you. You don’t have time to explain what just happened. I then made a finger so that there was no contact. There was no disrespect. It was kind of a Curb Your Enthusiasm moment. I’ve got this booger in my hand, but saying “I don’t want to shake your hand” makes me look worse. I just had to roll with it.”
Nallo also said that his sons do not know what he does for a living. Although they train in jiu-jitsu, he said they are unaware of how violent MMA can be.
Nallo (15-4, 1 NC) earned his UFC contract
Dana White Candidate Series last year, but lost his promotional debut Jai Herbert
by TKO earlier this year. The 37-year-old has never had a professional fight decided by judges.
Almond Nallo explains the hilarious dilemma of picking a nose at the UFC weigh-ins and shaking Dana White’s hand right after: “I have two boys, they’re 5 and 7… I wanted to let them know that I knew they were watching. So I said to them, ‘What can I do to let you see that I know you’re watching?’ They said to me, ‘Pick your nose.’ hakka teesklema. Nii et ma läksin sinna ja see oli nende jaoks. Olen paremakäeline. Ma lähen sinna üles oma parema käega ja siis (Dana White) sirutab oma käe sinu poole. Teil ei ole aega selgitada, mis just juhtus. Tegin siis näpuga, et kontakti ei oleks. Polnud lugupidamatust. See oli nagu “Curb Your Enthusiasm” hetk. Mul on see booger käes, aga kui ütlen: “Ma ei taha su kätt suruda”, näen ma veel worse. I just had to roll with it.”
— Ariel Helwani (@arielhelwani)
October 21, 2026
