Jon Jones versus Francis Ngannou is the dream heavyweight MMA fight for many fans. After Jones made his heavyweight debut at UFC 285, winning the vacant weight class title in the process, fans hoped that a showdown with Ngannou.
However, it seemingly wasn't to be. Ngannou, the former heavyweight champion, has been out of contract with the UFC since December. Furthermore, he recently signed with the rival Professional Fighters League, with a 2024 debut in mind. But while the chances of a fight may be down, they are certainly not out. The two fighters traded tweets after Jones made comments about Ngannou's decision to sign with the PFL. Now Ngannou is eager to back up his call to action.
Ngannou Eager For Cross-Promotion Fight
Speaking with TMZ, Ngannou reiterated his desire to fight Jones. "I'd be on board. Listen, first of all, I always claim for this Jon Jones fight, I always wanted Jon Jones fight and then it seem like they didn't want to make this Jon Jones fight happen." Neither man has ever shied away from the idea of a fight. However, the UFC has never appeared eager to make it happen. Jones relinquished the light heavyweight belt in 2020 in order to focus on a potential fight with Ngannou. Despite this, the fight never materialized as Dana White appeared reluctant to match Jones' asking price.
Additionally, Ngannou claimed that the UFC had withheld a fight with Jones to try and get Ngannou to sign a new contract. "Until they wanna use Jon Jones as leverage to play me and that wasn't something that was going to happen. The Jon Jones fight wasn't just coming as a fight," Francis said, adding … "He came with strings attached. That's what I would say. Jon Jones fight was coming with strings attached which was the thing that I couldn't take it just like that." Ngannou has previously claimed that the UFC's refusal to provide health insurance and better sponsorship coverage is what led to him leaving the promotion. However, maybe Ngannou's persistence will be enough to finally convince the UFC to let Jones step into the Octagon with him.
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