For years, Jon Jones vs Francis Ngannou felt like the heavyweight fight that would never happen. Strangely enough, Netflix and Jake Paul‘s MMA event may have reopened that door. ‘The Predator’ made his long-awaited comeback to MMA on Saturday night at the Ronda Rousey vs. Gina Carano card, and he ruthlessly reminded everyone why he is still one of the scariest punchers in combat sports history.
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The former UFC heavyweight champion absolutely shut down Philipe Lins with a nasty first-round knockout, extending a terrifying streak that also includes stoppage wins over Stipe Miocic and Ciryl Gane. But the knockout itself was only part of the story because sitting cageside, watching it unfold, was ‘Bones’ himself.
The former two-division UFC champion joined the Netflix broadcast afterwards and bluntly confessed that the dream fight with Francis Ngannou is still on his mind. The issue, according to Jon Jones, is no longer desire. It is the UFC contract standing in the way. Because despite being technically retired from the sport, Jones is still under contract for at least one more fight.
“I’ve got to focus on getting out of my UFC contract,” Jones told Tyron Woodley on the broadcast. “I don’t think Dana’s interested in doing business with Francis, so doing it with MVP would probably be the only way to make it happen if we can get out of my contract. That would be great.
“Tonight Francis looked good, but he also fought against a guy who weighed 220 lb; that guy was afraid to engage with Francis. He definitely wasn’t on the same level of kickboxing as Francis. But I thought Francis was very impressive.”
Jon Jones said he wants to get out of his UFC contract to fight Francis Ngannou 😳 “I don’t think Dana’s interested in doing business with Francis. If we can get out of my contract, that’d be great.” (via @MostVpromotions)
Jon Jones’ statement alone reveals a lot about the current situation between ‘The Predator’ and Dana White. Even after leaving the UFC years ago due to a supposed negotiation dispute, the relationship between the two is still so damaged that Jon Jones believes the only realistic path to the fight is through Jake Paul and Most Valuable Promotions rather than the UFC.
Things became much more interesting when Tyron Woodley proposed that MVP also assist Jones in legally escaping his UFC contract and getting back to free agency by paying the legal cost needed to break out of the UFC.
“How cool would that be?” Jones replied. “You heard it here first. I didn’t even think of that idea.
“But having those guys cover the tab? I wonder if they’d be interested in doing that.”
Seeing how interested fans have been in this dream bout that never materialised, it shouldn’t be surprising if Jake Paul and his promotion actually do decide to bail ‘Bones’ out of the situation. After all, it isn’t just Jon Jones who is interested in a rematch; even Francis Ngannou wants to get his hands on this old rival from the UFC.
Francis Ngannou calls for Jon Jones after KO win
For years, MMA fans had imagined Francis Ngannou and Jon Jones sharing a cage. Instead, the bout never happened; contracts got in the way, egos clashed, and ‘The Predator’ eventually dropped out of the promotion entirely. Yet there they were on Saturday night at the Ronda Rousey vs Gina Carano card as Ngannou viciously demolished Philipe Lins in less than five minutes.
And the second the knockout happened, Ngannou wasted no time turning the attention directly towards his old rival.
“As I said before, Jon Jones is a great fighter,” Ngannou said in the post-fight interview. “Probably the best that have ever done the MMA. But I think in terms of business, he still has something to learn, and he should be watching what I’m doing and learn.
“And if he get it now, he should be able to figure it out and come make this fight. Because this fight is gonna happen before we retire.”
That confidence probably comes from where Francis Ngannou now finds himself career-wise. Since leaving the UFC in 2023, he has boxed Tyson Fury and Anthony Joshua for huge paydays while being one of MMA’s most dangerous heavyweights.
And now, following back-to-back MMA knockout wins outside of the UFC, he is confident that he still reigns supreme in the division, regardless of what promotion he is fighting for.
“Period. That’s not a question to be asked,” Ngannou replied when asked if he is the best heavyweight in the world. “I’m the f—— best, period.”
Now, given that Jon Jones explicitly expressed interest in the bout as well on the same night, this rivalry between the two heavyweight giants feels more alive than it did during their UFC days. Now all Jon Jones will have to do is find a way out of the contract.
