Dana White accused of ‘baiting’ Francis Ngannou with Jon Jones fight: “Massive obstacle”

PFL heavyweight fighter Francis Ngannou brands Dana White a big hindrance as he provides Jon Jones MMA HW super fight update.

Dana White accused of ‘baiting’ Francis Ngannou with Jon Jones fight: “Massive obstacle”

Francis Ngannou provides update on Jon Jones fight, hedging on 'obstacle' Dana White (Source: IMAGO/X)

Francis Ngannou is still hoping to fight UFC heavyweight champ Jon Jones someday. ‘The Predator’ is set to take another break from MMA to focus on big opportunities in boxing. He has previously made his mark in pro boxing as part of the Saudi GEA Riyadh Season. Ngannou vs. “Bones” has been a big UFC/MMA what-if for years. The fighter says a big deterrent to that has been UFC CEO Dana White.

Of course, a cross-promotional fight with Jones remains at the top of every MMA fan’s list. Ngannou insists the Saudi GEA boxing chief, Turki Alalshikh, could shape that fight. On the ‘DAZN Ariel X Ade’ Show, the Saudi GEA chairman even teased such a fight. The ex-UFC lineal heavyweight believes that Dana White is standing in the way of a super fight between him and Jones.

I think it’s something that could potentially happen, …If you can get past Dana White, it could happen [but] … that’s a massive obstacle. But personally, I don’t care. I’m doing well. I’m doing my stuff at my pace. I don’t care. That won’t change my sleep for me…Honestly, I think there’s a lot of big fights out there [for me]. 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.

Francis Ngannou to Sportsbook Review in an exclusive media interview
YouTube video

White has previously dissed Ngannou, saying the PPV spotlight, money-hogging Cameroonian avoided Jones and left UFC. That is because, per the UFC headman, Ngannou knew he would lose against Jones. However, many analysts and even common MMA foes think otherwise.

“Predator” holds some hope that Alalshikh and Saudi fight capital framework will be able to convince the UFC bossman. White remains dead against cross-promotion, especially with PFL. Ngannou recently snagged the Super Fight title (read fight highlights) at the PFL ‘Battle of the Giants’ pay-per-view headliner debut.

Ngannou has two fights left and needs to defend his HW Super fight belt within the bracket. If and when he goes into free agency or lands anywhere else after that, he’s hoping the Jon Jones scrapper happens.

PFL HW champion Francis Ngannou decides on another MMA break to explore incredible boxing opportunities

Professional Fighters League Super Fights Heavyweight Champ Francis Ngannou is always the red-hot thing in MMA. After his highly publicized UFC split, Ngannou (18-3 MMA, 1-0 PFL) faced two slumps in boxing. However, “Predator” proved he has what it takes to mix it with the best in all rulesets.

Francis Ngannou to return to MMA soon
Francis Ngannou to return to MMA soon (Source: X)

Ngannou wobbled and gave ex-WBC HW lineal boxer Tyson Fury a run for his money. He is looking forward to that rematch. The Cameroonian’s match-up with Brit KO artist Anthony Joshua was more one-sided. Nevertheless, he made big bank and proved his mettle in two short outings. Ngannou is thus looking forward to getting back to it; he has the go-ahead from a boxing-friendly PFL chairman, Donn Davis.

If I had to guess, I would think boxing would be first given the opportunities he has…I don’t want to say anything about that—that’s his business for him to announce—but he has unbelievable boxing opportunities. So, I think that’s more likely to come first, and MMA is likely to come second…But what I believe you’ll see from Francis this year is one MMA fight in PFL and one boxing match from Francis.

Donn Davis in ‘Town Hall w/ PFL’s Donn Davis Pt. 2
YouTube video

The PFL kicks off the World Tournament on 3 April at Universal Studios, Orlando. The 2025 campaign will feature an eight-man, single-elimination tournament. It’s a clear departure from the regular season and playoff format used by the league in recent years. Heavyweight is a featured bracket, and Francis Ngannou needs to complete two more fights with at least a defense. While boxing does come first as a bigger driver, the hope is he’ll return to it soon.

Related: Dana White unloads brutal rant at Francis Ngannou over ‘back pay’ scandal