Before Jon Jones vs. Tom Aspinall became the most intriguing matchup in MMA, the bout everyone wanted to see was Jones vs. Francis Ngannou. At the time, ‘The Predator’ reigned as UFC heavyweight champion from 2021 through early 2023, while ‘Bones’ was in the midst of his long-anticipated move up to 265lbs. The stage seemed set for a historic clash, but it never happened. You know the story! In what turned out to be one of the most prominent and public fallout in MMA history, Ngannou parted ways with Dana White and Co. in January 2023 on contentious terms.
Moreover, Ngannou went into UFC 270 against Cyril Gane, which was the final of his 8 fight contract with the promotion. Owing to the demands put up by ‘The Predator’, such as getting the chance to try his hand in boxing, White and the heavyweight king didn’t come to an agreement. And all of this transpired before Jones was ready to return, leaving one of the sport’s most tantalizing matchups forever unrealized.
But some green shoots for the clash appeared after PFL founder Donn Davis publicly offered the GOAT contender $50 million to face ‘The Predator’ in a cross-over MMA super-fight.“I know one way @JonnyBones earns $50m [Fighting] @francis_ngannou To decide the true MMA Heavyweight Champion and the real P4P #1. That would be THE fight of the decade for MMA fans.” Davis wrote on X.
Jones was even seen studying tape on Ngannou, which made some believe that that fight may still be a possibility. However, there has been no further progress and no interest shown from Jones and UFC’s side since Davis made that offer last month. That is why many feel that the clash is dead on arrival. Or is it?
Well, that is the question our very own Andrew Whitelaw asked 2022 PFL light heavyweight tournament winner, Rob Wilkinson, who is set to face Phil Davis in the quarter-final of the 2025 PFL season at PFL 4 season on May 1, in an exclusive Essentially Sports interview. “Do you think we can ever see a UFC-PFL crossover? Do you think we’ll ever see Ngannou vs. Jones? Or is that ship sailed?” Whitelaw asked.
“I don’t know if there’s enough money, maybe it would happen. I’m sure the PFL would love to make it happen. But, yeah, I don’t know if UFC wants to do that or not. Don’t even know if Jones is going to fight again, he doesn’t look like he’s even going to fight Tom Aspinall, so yeah, it might have sailed,” Razor’ said.
Indeed, Jon Jones, the ‘undisputed’ heavyweight champion, is officially still in negotiations with the UFC to fight his interim opponent, Aspinall. And while the latter had made pretty promising noises about the possibility of the fight being finalized last month, his recent comments have indicated that ‘Bones’ has still not agreed to fight him.
‘Bones’, of course, had asked for ‘f— you money’ to fight the Englishman. And according to a recent report by Ariel Helwani, the UFC has “met all the demands” put forth by the American. This is why many, including Wilkinson, feel that Jones probably does not want to fight again. If these fears are true, then that means ‘Bones’ is all but retired, and thus not likely to fight Ngannou. But, there is another, much bigger obstacle standing in the way of Jones-Ngannou ever materializing.
Why will Dana White never allow Jon Jones to fight Francis Ngannou in a crossover clash?
“The PFL-Donn Davis, didn’t he offer 50 million to make that fight happen? That is awesome. I mean, does that excite you? Knowing that you’re with a promotion looking to make big moves like that?” Whitelaw asked Rob Wilkinson in the ES Exclusive interview.
“Yeah, you know, they definitely want to make big moves, and they’re trying to establish themselves as, you know, the best MMA promotion, and they really want to challenge the UFC. That’s definitely what the sport needs right now,” Razor said.
And that, in a nutshell, is why Jones will never fight Ngannou. ‘Bones’ is signed to a long-term deal with the UFC. This means that even if he officially announces his retirement, he will need the UFC’s permission to face Ngannou down the line if the idea ever catches his fancy.
But cut-throat businessman that is Dana White will never allow that to happen. As Wilkinson pointed out, the PFL, which is the UFC’s biggest competitor at the moment, would have everything to gain from this crossover fight, while the UFC has nothing to gain from it. Ngannou-Jones just doesn’t make sense for the UFC, even if Jones agrees to fight ‘The Predator’. What do you think about Rob Wilkinson’s take on the possibility of a Jon Jones vs. Francis Ngannou clash?
The post Ex-PFL Champ Admits ‘Ship Has Sailed’ on Jon Jones Fighting Francis Ngannou Despite $50M Offer on the Table [Exclusive] appeared first on EssentiallySports.