Ngannou Blames Dana White For Jon Jones Fight Failure

Francis Ngannou has put the blame on Dana White for the Jon Jones fight not happening.

Ngannou against Jones is one of the biggest MMA fights to be made. However, fans are unlikely to see this following Ngannou’s departure from the UFC in 2023. The Predator left on very bad terms after contract talks broke down. Reports indicated that Ngannou was opposed to the offer that was made. It would have reduced his rights as an independent contractor, thus removing any flexibility he had. He would subsequently leave to sign with the PFL. 

Dana White responded by confirming that he would never work with Ngannou again. He has also shut down any idea of a co-promotion with the PFL to make a Jon Jones fight. Ngannou has transitioned into boxing whilst also indicating his desire to fight Jones if the opportunity ever arose. He has previously spoken about how White suggested that Jones should fight at middleweight rather than move up to heavyweight to face him when they were both in the UFC. 

But there has been a conflicting narrative, with White stating that Ngannou never wanted the fight. This has increased the anticipation to see it happen, especially with the introduction of the Saudis into combat sports. The Saudis have made significant inroads with the PFL and the UFC, increasing speculation that fans could see that fight if there was enough money on the table. But the current demand is to see Tom Aspinall take on Jones, as Ngannou is unlikely to get his shot. 

Ngannou On Jones

However, the Predator said that he was comfortable with not having to fight Jones, given that he is focused on his own path. Ngannou has secured his financial future from the sport as his boxing fights against Tyson Fury and Anthony Joshua have earned him a reported $30 million. He is also keen on boxing again, with reports that he wants Deontay Wilder. That will also earn him another lucrative sum, meaning there is no financial expectation on Ngannou to take the Jones fight. But if the opportunity ever arose, he would be ready to seize it.

“Finishing my career without fighting Jon Jones would be OK. I have tried to fight Jon Jones for four years since I fought Jairzinho Rozenstruik [at UFC 249] back in 2020. I’ve been trying to fight Jon Jones, and then they were holding it out like a trap until the moment that I was about to leave. Then they said, ‘OK, here’s the Jon Jones fight.’ But it was bait. I felt they were very tricky.

“Yes, Jon Jones would be a great fight, a fantastic fight. I have always hoped for that fight, but my hope and my expectation for that fight has faded over time. [And] I have a lot of fights to get a measurement of his light heavyweight career, and I have way less to look at with him as a heavyweight. I think he’s by far the best light heavyweight. His cage time as a light heavyweight was over a decade. At heavyweight, he has two fights. He has barely done three rounds,” Ngannou said 

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