Nallo stopped Nate Landwehr at UFC Edmonton on Oct. 17. Before the bout, however, the Canadian lightweight drew attention by conspicuously picking his nose onstage. He has since explained the gesture.
Mandel Nallo says his sons inspired UFC Edmonton nose-picking gesture before Dana White's handshake offer
Nallo said his sons suggested the gesture as a way to acknowledge them while they watched. That created an awkward moment when UFC CEO Dana White extended his hand before Nallo’s faceoff with Landwehr. Speaking to Ariel Helwani, Nallo explained that refusing the handshake might have looked disrespectful.
“I have two boys; they're 5 and 7... I wanted to notify them that I knew they were watching,” Nallo said. “So I told them, ‘What's something I can do so that you guys can see that I know you're watching?’ They told me, ‘Pick your nose.’ I'm a committed nose picker. I'm not gonna half-*ss it. I'm not gonna pretend. So, I went up there and that was for them. I'm right-handed. I'm gonna go up there with my right hand, and then [Dana White] extends his arm out to you. You don't have time to explain what just happened. So I did a finger point so that there was no contact. There was no disrespect. It was kind of like a ‘Curb Your Enthusiasm’ moment. I got this booger in my hand, but if I go, ‘I don't want to shake your hand,’ then I look even worse. I just had to roll with it.”
Nallo also said his sons don’t know what he does for a living. Although they train jiu-jitsu, he said they are unaware of how violent MMA can be.
Nallo (15-4, 1 NC) earned his UFC contract on Dana White’s Contender Series last year but lost his promotional debut to Jai Herbert by technical knockout earlier this year. The 37-year-old has never had a professional fight decided by the judges.
Mandel Nallo explains picking his nose at the UFC weigh-ins and the hilarious dilemma of shaking Dana White's hand immediately afterward: “I have two boys, they're 5 and 7... I wanted to notify them that I knew they were watching. So I told them, 'What's something I can do so that you guys can see that I know you're watching?' They told me, 'Pick your nose.' I'm a committed nose picker. I'm not gonna half-ass it. I'm not gonna pretend. So I went up there and that was for them. I'm right-handed. I'm gonna go up there with my right hand, and then [Dana White] extends his arm out to you. You don't have time to explain what just happened. So I did a finger point so that there was no contact. There was no disrespect. It was kind of like a Curb Your Enthusiasm moment. I got this booger in my hand, but if I go, 'I don't wanna shake your hand,' then I look even worse. I just had to roll with it."— Ariel Helwani (@arielhelwani) October 21, 2026