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UFC Heavyweight Champion Jon Jones is currently on the shelf and won’t be competing sometime until mid-2024 at the earliest.
There are plenty of people for Jones to fight when he returns to action, but one of them won’t be former UFC Heavyweight Champion Francis Ngannou, at least if UFC President Dana White has his way.
“I’m not interested in that,” said White at his UFC 295 post-fight press conference (transcript via Nate Wilcox of Bloody Elbow). “We tried to make that fight. They didn’t want to do it. It’s done. He doesn’t fight here anymore. I’m not interested.”
Ngannou has yet to compete in an MMA fight since leaving the UFC earlier this year, but he did make his pro boxing debut in a split decision loss to Tyson Fury.
Besides not wanting to make the Jones versus Ngannou fight anymore, another thing White won’t do is co-promote with the PFL, which is the promotion Ngannou signed with after leaving the UFC.
“Should I [co-promote with PFL]?,” said White. “We’ve got one, two and three [highest gates in Madison Square Garden history], they can’t sell a f—king gate. It’s a stupid question, but go ahead. Talk to me. Why would I do that? I tried to make the fight here. They didn’t want to do it but I should co-promote with a Bellator or a PFL? Why should I do that? Talk to me. You win the dumb question of the night, congratulations sir.”
