Jon Jones has outlined the only way he believes a fight with Francis Ngannou can materialize, as the former UFC champion seeks to exit his contract with six bouts remaining. Jones, who has not fought in nearly two years, knocked out Stipe Miocic in his last outing to defend his heavyweight title. He was offered a bout against Alex Pereira at the upcoming UFC White House card but could not reach an agreement.
Contractual Hurdles
Jones, 36, has six fights left on his UFC deal but hopes to secure a release to face Ngannou, who left the UFC for the PFL in 2023. UFC CEO Dana White has stated he will not work with Ngannou again, leaving Jones with limited options. “I’ve got to focus on trying to get out of my UFC contract,” Jones said. “That’s going to be the difficult part if this fight is going to happen. I don’t think Dana 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 of my contract, that would be great.”
Ngannou's Recent Victory
Ngannou recently knocked out Philipe Lins on Jake Paul's debut MMA card, which also featured Ronda Rousey's win over Gina Carano. Paul expressed sympathy for Jones' situation, saying: “I just feel bad when Jon Jones can't get out of his contract to be a free agent, to be able to provide for his family. That is the real meaning behind these things and these fighters being tied up, not being able to pick and choose what they want to do. The fact that he isn't on the White House card is very disappointing. I got to talk to him tonight, and yeah, he's upset about it. He's like, ‘Man, it just sucks.’ He can't control his career.”
Paul added: “I've been pushing for fighters to stay free agents, to work with people like MVP, where these MMA fighters can go and box. I've been wanting to make Jon Jones vs Francis Ngannou, but it's just tough over there.”
Boxing Ambitions
Jones also revealed he is considering a switch to boxing after seeing Ngannou earn career-high purses against Tyson Fury and Anthony Joshua. “You know what? I've really wanted to box,” Jones said. “If I were to put all my energy into just my hands, my combinations, my punching power, I think I would really surprise a lot of people.” He remains optimistic about leaving the UFC: “I think that getting out of my UFC contract is very, very possible. But I need to find the right people and go through the right channels. Just put more effort into it, really.”
