Chael Sonnen has completely dismissed the idea that contracts are the real reason why Jon Jones and Francis Ngannou are unable to fight each other despite ‘Bones’ desperately seeking the bout. According to ‘The American Gangster,’ both heavyweight fighters could make the fight happen if they truly wanted to, but neither is willing to take the risk.
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“There’s no contract stopping them from fighting,” he said on his YouTube channel. “I know you’re told differently. Stop. Stop. They could fight right now. But they don’t wanna fight.
“Back when Dana was gonna make the fight, they didn’t wanna fight. And they don’t actually wanna get in there with each other. That’s not fun. They just wanna make sure that they have the respect of the audience.”
😭 Chael Sonnen says Jon Jones and Francis Ngannou could fight today but neither want to face each other: “There is no contract stopping them from fighting… they don’t actually want to fight” 🎥 @ChaelSonnen
Chael Sonnen’s comments come at an interesting time, as Jon Jones recently reignited talk about the matchup on Netflix’s MVP MMA card. After witnessing Francis Ngannou viciously knock out Philipe Lins in the first round, ‘Bones’ openly stated that he wants out of his UFC contract so that the bout can take place under Jake Paul‘s MVP banner.
‘The Predator’ also called him out right after the knockout.
“As I said before, Jon Jones is a great fighter,” Francis 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.”
Seeing how both the fighters truly wanted to clash, Tyron Woodley, sitting alongside Jon Jones on the broadcasting table, suggested that Jake Paul and Most Valuable Promotion could actually help get Jones into free agency by paying the legal fees.
To make things even more interesting, even Nakisa Bidarian, co-founder of Most Valuable Promotions, seems to be more than willing to work with Dana White and the UFC to make this heavyweight superfight a real thing.
“If you look at the boxing landscape, co-promotion happens all the time,” Bidarian said at the MVP MMA 1 post-fight press conference. “If you look at MMA outside the UFC, co-promotion happens all the time.
“The biggest moment the UFC has had in history was a co-promotion. It was with Mayweather and McGregor. It was the biggest associated event Dana has touched in terms of revenue. So hopefully there is a door; hopefully that can happen. We’re more than willing. There are no hurt feelings.”
But despite all the signs pointing towards the fact that this fight is 100% possible, Jon Jones is denying it all. Or maybe he wants to, considering how things are between him and the UFC. The former heavyweight champion hung up his gloves last year due to what was a ‘negotiation dispute.’
This was followed by another fallout between him and Dana White when he was denied a return on this summer’s UFC White House card. With reportedly one more fight in his contract, it seems like Jon Jones just wants an out.
And that is why Chael Sonnen clearly is not buying the excuses anymore. From his perspective, if two superstars truly wanted to fight each other, they would eventually force the business side to work itself out.
Instead, with the teasing, callouts, interviews, and speculation, fans are left with nothing but another round of “what if” talks surrounding probably the sport’s biggest heavyweight fight that never happened.
And another the fact that works towards the narrative that Jon Jones simply wants to use this Francis Ngannou situation as an excuse to get out of his contract is the fact that he now wants to trade the Octagon for a ring instead.
Jon Jones reveals his new plan after UFC retirement
That is what makes Jon Jones’ latest comments feel even more revealing. While fans continue to debate if the Francis Ngannou fight will ever happen, ‘Bones’ seems to be mentally halfway out of MMA altogether. Instead of focusing solely on unfinished business inside the Octagon, the former heavyweight champion is now publicly fantasizing about a whole new challenge.
Speaking to Denise White after the MVP card, Jon Jones revealed that boxing is now something he sincerely wants to pursue next.
“I think getting out of my UFC contract is very, very possible,” he said. “I need to find the right people and the right channels.
“You know, I really wanted to box. Like, if I were to put all my energy into just my hands, combinations, and punching power, I think I’d really surprise a lot of people. I would love to box; that would be a lot of fun.”
Honestly, it is a fascinating thought because Jones was never known as a traditional puncher during his MMA career. His dominance came from elbows, kicks, clinch work, wrestling, fight IQ, and the ability to weaponize all aspects of MMA at once. Pure boxing was never the primary focus of his game.
Yet, after retirement, unsuccessful comeback talks, and years of exhausting negotiations, the idea of reducing combat to merely punching seems to actually excite him. Whether that path eventually brings him back to Francis Ngannou, who also loves to box, or away from MMA entirely is unknown, but one thing is certain: Jon Jones no longer sounds like someone obsessed with defending an MMA legacy.
