Of all the dream fights in mixed martial arts that have yet to happen, Francis Ngannou vs. Jon Jones is near the top of everybody’s lists.
The two former UFC Heavyweight Champions are currently exploring other options away from the UFC, with Ngannou having had boxing matches with Anthony Joshua and Tyson Fury, a stint in the PFL, and being booked on Jake Paul’s MVP MMA card on May 16. However, in a recent interview with “ESPN MMA,” Ngannou revealed that Jones is the one man he wants to face before he eventually hangs up his gloves for good. “Jon Jones is the fight I really want to have before my retirement. But other than that, it could be anybody. I don’t care. As long as it’s a fight. I’m not saying it’s a fight that would define my career or something, but if I had to pick, ‘Okay let’s do this one and go home,’ then it would be Jon Jones.”
The two men have come into contact with each other over the years but nothing has ever materialized in terms of having them fight one another. However, Ngannou revealed that the only time the Jones fight was proposed to him was when he felt like it was used as bait to try and bring him back to the UFC. “It was never really on the table, so I don’t have to be disappointed. The only time that he seems like a possibility was when he was used as bait, something to bait me.”
Due to the fight never really being presented officially to him, Ngannou isn’t too disappointed that it hasn’t happened yet, but would really like to face “Jonny Bones” at some point in the future.
Francis Ngannou Just Wants Contracts To Be Fair
The main reason why Francis Ngannou, and Jon Jones for that matter, aren’t in the UFC right now is simple, money. Both men wanted more money to fight, with Jones famously saying he wanted as much as Deontay Wilder to fight Ngannou, while Ngannou also wanted health insurance and more money for his opponents to help boost fighter pay across the board.
Whether or not Ngannou gets back on the same page as Dana White remains to be seen, but when he was asked if he would be willing to propose to the UFC that he wants to fight Jones rather than the other way around, Ngannou explained that it would simply be down to the contract and whether it works for all parties.
“I have no problem with contracts. I have a problem with the way the contract is being used. I still sign a contract, even if it’s not fighting. I’m a businessman, so I understand the concept of contract, which is an agreement between to people that have to assure they deliver something. Now, if we both deliver whatever is agreed on in the contract, I see no reason for us [not] to keep doing business. In fact, when you sign a good contract, you want to get your partner happy, to maybe re-sign. Like, ‘Okay, this has been such a good partnership. Why not re-sign? Why not re-do this? We are winning together, why not continue?’ So I really don’t have a problem with a contract itself. When I sign a contract, I make sure that I deliver. I honor my part of the contract… Bring me the contract, I look at it. If it’s right, I sign. It has to be right and fair, that’s all that I’m saying.”
Please credit “ESPN MMA” when using quotes from this article, and give a H/T to Wrestling Inc. for the transcription.
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