Jon Jones has stated that his priority is to leave his current UFC contract to secure a fight with Francis Ngannou. This statement was made shortly after Ngannou’s decisive first-round knockout victory over Philipe Lins at an MVP event broadcast on Netflix.
During his commentary for the Rousey vs. Carano card, Jones acknowledged that the prospect of a fight with Ngannou would be challenging to realize unless he was no longer bound by his UFC obligations.
Jones’s Desire to Fight Ngannou Hinges on UFC Contract Release
Ngannou’s impressive win over Lins has once again brought the potential clash with Jones into the spotlight. Following his victory, Ngannou reiterated his interest in facing Jones, suggesting that the former UFC champion still needs to grasp the business aspects of combat sports and that the matchup could still materialize before either fighter retires.
However, Jones expressed a realistic outlook on the obstacles. He commented that he doesn’t believe UFC President Dana White is eager to engage in business with Ngannou, which is why he pointed to Most Valuable Promotions (MVP) as a potential avenue for the fight. Jones emphasized that the most significant hurdle would be extricating himself from his UFC contract, but if achieved, it “would be great.”
“I need to concentrate on getting out of my UFC contract. That will be the difficult part if this fight [with Francis Ngannou] is to happen. I don’t think Dana is interested in doing business with Francis, so doing it with MVP would likely be the only way to make it happen, and if we can get out of my contract, that would be fantastic.”
Jones made these remarks in the immediate aftermath of Ngannou reminding everyone of his formidable presence in the octagon. Ngannou’s return to mixed martial arts occurred on MVP’s inaugural live event, providing the combat sports world with renewed impetus to discuss the long-speculated fight with Jones. Jones’s presence on the broadcast added an interesting dimension, as his reactions were spontaneous rather than rehearsed talking points from later interviews.
Ngannou joined the Professional Fighters League (PFL) after departing the UFC, where he had previously held the heavyweight championship in 2021 after defeating Stipe Miocic and successfully defended his title against Ciryl Gane in 2022. Ngannou’s MMA career with PFL included one fight, followed by two boxing matches where he faced setbacks against Anthony Joshua after nearly upsetting Tyson Fury. Following Ngannou’s exit from the UFC, Jon Jones relinquished his light heavyweight title to move up to the heavyweight division, where he subsequently claimed the world championship.
At present, the potential fight appears to be more heavily influenced by promotional dynamics than by pure sporting considerations. Both fighters are prominent figures in the heavyweight division, but Jones remains under contract with the UFC, while Ngannou operates outside the promotion. This situation renders the matchup dependent on unconventional business arrangements rather than a straightforward booking.
