UFC heavyweight champion Jon Jones is eager for a showdown against former heavyweight titleholder Francis Ngannou. However, Ngannou is currently signed with the Professional Fighters League (PFL) and is no longer under UFC contract. This situation poses challenges for scheduling that highly anticipated fight.
UFC matchmakers have been attempting to arrange a title unification bout between Jon Jones and the interim heavyweight champion, Tom Aspinall. Despite these efforts, Jones appears disinterested in facing Aspinall, believing that a victory over him won't significantly enhance his legacy. Jones's views cast doubt on whether he will take that fight.
UFC CEO Dana White addressed the potential matchup between Jones and Ngannou during the UFC 316 Post-Fight Press Conference. He commented on Jones’s statements regarding Ngannou, labeling them as 'talking crazy.' White stated, "Tom Aspinall is the guy. Listen, if the guy (Jones) wants to retire and doesn't want to fight, there's nothing you can do... I'll do what I can to make the fight if we can. If he's talking that crazy stuff, I didn't realize that." White’s words emphasize the promotion's focus on Aspinall rather than Ngannou.
Both Jones and Ngannou previously expressed mutual interest in a fight through social media exchanges, yet White showed little enthusiasm for this matchup. The UFC attempted to book this bout for Jones's heavyweight debut but failed to reach an agreement with Ngannou during negotiations. One sticking point was Ngannou's desire to maintain the option for boxing matches in addition to MMA competition.
Ngannou departed the UFC as the heavyweight champion when his contract expired in December 2023. Following his exit, he signed with the PFL and secured high-profile boxing fights against icons Tyson Fury and Anthony Joshua. White dismissed any prospects of bringing Ngannou back to the UFC or collaborating with the PFL to arrange a Jones vs. Ngannou fight. He affirmed, "It's Aspinall's fight. I mean, we've been talking forever about it and it's his fight. You can't make people fight. If Jon doesn't want to fight, we can't make him fight. We can try to make him fight. We can throw things at him that inspire him to want to fight." White clarified that with Jones's situation and Ngannou’s contractual status, Aspinall remains the priority.
When asked if he would consider re-signing Ngannou if given the opportunity, White responded, "Probably not." This statement underlines the UFC's current trajectory and their focus on promoting fights within their existing roster.
Despite the complications, Dana White expressed optimism about potentially securing a fight between Jon Jones and Tom Aspinall. He disclosed that Jones had already accepted an offer to face the interim champion. "Jon Jones agreed to do that fight. Jon Jones was offered a deal and accepted the deal," White stated, raising hopes for fans eager to see Jones defend his title against the rising star, Aspinall.
As developments unfold, the fight community watches closely, eager to see how Jones navigates his future in the heavyweight division and whether the match against Aspinall will materialize.
