“Absolutely not true,” Dana White debunks Francis Ngannou vs Jon Jones rumors; confirms Tom Aspinall as next contender
Dana White has dismissed all rumors about a possible fight between UFC heavyweight champion Jon Jones and former champion Francis Ngannou.
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Dana White shuts down the rumors of a fight between Jon Jones and Francis Ngannou (Image via Imago)
The UFC heavyweight division has always been filled with some of the top fighters in the world. Notably, potential matchups among these fighters often attract significant attention from fans. One particularly intriguing matchup that was rumored involved Jon Jones and former UFC fighter and champion Francis Ngannou. Recently, Dana White, the CEO of UFC, addressed these rumors.
A few weeks ago, in an interview, Francis Ngannou expressed his desire to keep the possibility of a fight against Jon Jones alive. Recently, Turki Alalshikh, the chairman of Saudi GEA, hinted that this match could become a reality. However, contrary to everyone’s expectations, Dana White has dismissed all rumors regarding a potential Ngannou vs. Jones fight at this time.
Absolutely NOT true. Jon vs Tom
Dana White via Instagram comments
The UFC CEO reiterated his desire to see ‘Bones’ face Tom Aspinall in a title unification bout. Aspinall has long expressed his wish to challenge the heavyweight champion. However, Jones has not shown interest in fighting the British fighter.
According to Jones, he believes that defeating Aspinall would not have a significant impact on his legacy as an MMA fighter. This is one of the reasons why Jones has avoided the matchup with Aspinall.
? Dana White SHUTS DOWN rumors of a potential fight between Jon Jones and Francis Ngannou, and says Jon Jones vs Tom Aspinall is the fight to make#UFC #MMA pic.twitter.com/3L2jB2eCgO
— Championship Rounds (@ChampRDS) December 4, 2024
Interestingly, even Ngannou has sided with Jones’ decision to avoid a fight against Aspinall at this stage of his career. Meanwhile, the potential matchup between Bones and the ‘Predator’ has sparked significant discussions. This debate has elicited strong reactions, with many in the community opposing the fight between Jones and Ngannou, while a few others support it.
Francis Ngannou’s coach wants his fighter to face Jon Jones
Jon Jones is a veteran of the MMA community. Over the years, he has established a reputation for himself by defeating numerous formidable opponents, primarily in the UFC light heavyweight division. A few years ago, Jones transitioned to the heavyweight division, where Francis Ngannou stood out as one of the top fighters in the promotion.
During that time, there were several discussions about a potential fight between Jones and Ngannou. However, the bout never happened because the Predator left the promotion. Recently, Ngannou’s coach, Eric Nicksick, explored the possibility of a fight between his fighter and Jones. In this context, Nicksick also made an interesting call out to Dana White to help make this exciting matchup a reality.
I think that’s the only way really, money talks. I think you put your ego aside if the money moves your motivation enough. At the end of the day, Dana, you think Jon (Jones) is the baddest motherf**ker ever then put him up against Francis (Ngannou). You hate Francis so much, want him get his a** kicked. Why not?
Eric Nicksick via Verse Us (Check from 56:22)
The Predator recently made his return to MMA at PFL, where he triumphed over Renan Ferreira with a fierce KO/TKO. After this win, there has been a lot of speculation regarding Ngannou’s upcoming fight possibilities. Notably, the Predator himself has shown interest in a potential bout against Jones. It will be intriguing to see if these two fighters ever meet in the octagon.
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Nilaav Gogoi
(550 Articles Published)