Perhaps not all hope is lost for Jon Jones vs. Francis Ngannou.
Jones and Ngannou were going back-and-forth on social media regarding a potential heavyweight clash. While the two weren’t exactly starting a beef, the competitive nature was alive and well. Both men expressed confidence in having their hand raised and wanted big money for a showdown. It didn’t work out as they had hoped.
Jones vs. Ngannou Still Possible? Abe Kawa Thinks So
Appearing on MMAJunkie Radio, Jones’ manager, Abe Kawa, expressed his belief that the possibility of Jones vs. Ngannou hasn’t fizzled out.
“Listen, it can always still happen,” Kawa said. “One thing we have is a tremendous amount of respect for (UFC president) Dana (White)and the guys up there (at the UFC). Whenever the fans really want something to happen, it happens. So that being said, it can always happen. That’s never a straight no, it’s not. It can absolutely happen.”
The holdup with Jones vs. Ngannou comes down to money and direction. Jones claimed that when speaking with the UFC brass, he was told that he wouldn’t receive a higher payday for moving up to the heavyweight division. Jones later told John Morgan that the UFC went back on its word as he said he was promised higher pay if he moved up.
UFC president Dana White had questioned whether or not Jones and Ngannou truly wanted to fight each other. When it became clear that they did but for more money, the UFC boss said the bout was unlikely.
It’s likely that Jones’ next bout will be a light heavyweight title defense. The candidates appear to be Dominick Reyes and Jan Blachowicz. Jones has been pushing for Blachowicz to receive the next shot as “Bones” already holds a win over Reyes. While some have disputed the result and believe an immediate rematch is in order, Blachowicz has also proven to be a worthy contender.
