Jon Jones has claimed he may “need to try to focus on getting out” of his UFC contract, amid renewed talk of a potential super-fight with Francis Ngannou. The former UFC heavyweight champion made the remarks while serving as a pundit for Ngannou’s first-round knockout of Philipe Lins on Saturday.
Jones on Punditry Duty
Jones joined Netflix’s commentary team to discuss Ngannou’s victory over Lins at the Intuit Dome in Inglewood, California. The bout took place on the undercard of Ronda Rousey’s MMA comeback after a decade away, an event organised by Jake Paul’s Most Valuable Promotions (MVP). Ngannou’s win improved his MMA record to 2-0 since leaving the UFC in 2023, when he vacated the heavyweight title that Jones won two months later.
Contractual Hurdles
When asked about a potential fight with Ngannou, Jones said: “I’ve got to focus on trying to get out of my UFC contract. That’s going to be the difficult part, if this fight is going to happen. I don’t think Dana [White, UFC CEO and president] is interested in doing business with Francis. Doing it with MVP would probably be the only way to make it happen. If we can get out my contract, that would be great.”
Despite the speculation, Jones admitted: “I think I am [retired], I think I am. I have a really good agent, the Kawa brothers, and these guys keep me busy. I’m constantly on the road, creating my own businesses and endorsing other businesses. So, I feel like if things weren’t going so well, I’d feel the pressure to get back in the cage, but things are going so well on a professional level that I really have no reason to fight anymore.”
Ngannou’s Career Since Leaving UFC
Ngannou’s UFC heavyweight title reign coincided with Jones’s absence from the promotion, as the latter focused on bulking up from light-heavyweight. Many fans accused Jones of avoiding a fight with Ngannou, widely considered the most-fearsome puncher in MMA history, especially since Jones returned to the UFC as soon as Ngannou left.
“Tonight he looked good,” Jones said on Saturday, “but he also fought against a guy that weighed like 220lb. That guy was afraid to engage with Francis. He definitely wasn’t on the same kickboxing level as Francis. [But] I thought Francis was very impressive tonight. He’s starting to throw kicks, he threw really nice high kicks tonight. I’m just excited to see what’s next for him.”
After leaving the UFC, Ngannou (19-3) fought once in the PFL, winning the Super Fights heavyweight title in 2024 by stopping Renan Ferreira in the first round. The 39-year-old has also boxed twice since leaving the UFC, controversially losing a decision to then-champion Tyson Fury in 2023 after dropping the Briton, before suffering a brutal KO defeat by Anthony Joshua in 2024.
Jones’s Recent Activity
Jones, 38, last fought in November 2024, stopping heavyweight great Stipe Miocic to retain the UFC heavyweight belt. Jones (28-1, 1 no-contest) then refused to face interim champion Tom Aspinall, ultimately giving up his title and leading Aspinall to be elevated to official champion.
