UFC president Dana White has put a halt to all the talk of Jon Jones vs. Francis Ngannou.
Jones has been teasing a move up to the heavyweight division for a while now. Things began to heat up when “Bones” and Ngannou began exchanging words on social media. Jones has made it clear that he wants the UFC to “open up the checkbook” in order to make a move up in weight class a reality. It was something the promotion simply wasn’t willing to do.
Dana White Slams Door On Jones vs. Ngannou
Jones revealed that negotiations with the UFC broke down as he was informed he wouldn’t receive a bump up in pay. Speaking to Jon Anik, White confirmed that Jones vs. Ngannou is out the window for now (h/t BJPenn.com).
“Jon Jones vs. Ngannou? Obviously, that’s a fight people would love to see and these guys are talking a lot of smack back and forth. [But] I don’t see that fight happening,” Dana White said to ESPN. “I don’t see that fight happening.”
John Morgan posted an interview with Jones on his Patreon page. Jones claimed that the UFC brass went back on its word of paying him more to make the move to heavyweight.
“The UFC clearly told me that they would redo my contract the day I went heavyweight, and it would be a different deal, so I’ve always held that in my back pocket, that my goal is to fight at light heavyweight for a long time until I got to a place that I’ve got nothing else to prove, and then retire as a heavyweight with some real big fights – risk putting it all on the line against these guys that could cause some serious damage. Thursday, I found out that that’s just simply not happening, and it’s upsetting. I feel like someone’s put a little bit of a limit on my ceiling.”
Jones will likely have to turn his attention to a light heavyweight title defense against either Dominick Reyes in a rematch or Jan Blachowicz. Judging by Jones’ tweets, it appears things are leaning towards a title showdown with Blachowicz.
