Jon Jones says he currently considers himself retired but the possibility of finally fighting Francis Ngannou may still be alive under one condition. Jones admitted Saturday night that he would seriously consider the long-awaited heavyweight super fight if someone could help get him out of his UFC contract.
And according to Jones, that someone might be Jake Paul and Most Valuable Promotions. Jones was in attendance at Intuit Dome in Inglewood, California during MVP MMA’s debut event, where Ngannou violently knocked out Philipe Lins in the first round.
Appearing on the Netflix broadcast desk alongside Tyron Woodley, Jones admitted the fight with Ngannou still interests him. “I’ve got to focus on getting out of my UFC contract,” Jones said. “I don’t think Dana’s interested in doing business with Francis, so doing it with MVP would probably be the only way to make it happen.”
Jones added that Ngannou looked impressive in his return despite some reservations about the matchup itself. “Tonight Francis looked good, but he also fought against a guy who weighed 220 pounds. That guy was afraid to engage with Francis. But I thought Francis was very impressive.”
He also noted improvements in Ngannou’s striking arsenal. “He’s starting to throw kicks. He threw some really nice low kicks tonight.”
Dana White Still Standing In The Way
The biggest obstacle remains Dana White and the UFC. White’s relationship with Ngannou deteriorated badly before the former heavyweight champion left the company in 2023.
Since then:
- Ngannou signed with the PFL
- Boxed Tyson Fury and Anthony Joshua
- Became one of the biggest crossover combat sports stars in the world
Meanwhile, the UFC has shown little interest in co-promoting any event involving Ngannou.
Saturday night added even more fuel to the rivalry when White announced UFC 329 headlined by Conor McGregor vs. Max Holloway 2 at the exact moment Ngannou was making his walk to the cage.
Tyron Woodley Floats Jake Paul Idea
During the broadcast, Woodley proposed a wild scenario: What if Jake Paul and MVP helped fund Jones’ legal effort to escape his UFC contract?
Jones immediately seemed intrigued. “How cool would that be?” Jones responded. “You heard it here first. I didn’t even think of that idea. But having those guys cover the tab? I wonder if they’d be interested in doing that.”
The comments instantly sparked speculation about whether MVP could realistically pursue the biggest heavyweight fight in MMA history outside the UFC banner.
The Biggest Fight Never Made
For years, Jones vs. Ngannou has been viewed as one of the greatest fights MMA never delivered. Both men spent years dominating the UFC heavyweight landscape, but contract disputes, timing, injuries and business complications prevented the matchup from ever materializing.
Now:
- Jones says he’s retired
- Ngannou is outside the UFC system
- MVP and Netflix are aggressively expanding into MMA
- Jake Paul continues pushing crossover super fights
Suddenly, a fight once thought impossible no longer feels completely out of reach.
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Robert LaMar is a Deputy Editor for Dice City Sports. You can follow him on X via @RobertLaMar26
