Francis Ngannou Fires Back at Dana White Saying Jon Jones Didn’t Want to Fight

Ex-UFC Heavyweight Champion Francis Ngannou: "I was the one requesting the Jon Jones fight."

Christopher De Santiago | Aug 23, 2024

Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports

Francis Ngannou says he isn't to blame for the Jon Jones fight not happening.

Watch Francis Ngannou vs. Renan Ferreira PFL Press Conference, Ft. Jake Paul

A battle between Ngannou and the current UFC Heavyweight Champion has long been discussed but to no avail with the baddest men in the world going their separate paths after all these years of talking about the not-so-potential super-fight.

Of course, it was then-champ Ngannou who left the UFC in January 2023 after fighting out his contract against Ciryl Gane a year prior. Made an unprecedented offer to stay on the roster as champion, Ngannou decided against it, taking a chance on himself in free agency where he scored two boxing matches against Tyson Fury and Anthony Joshua and a PFL contract as he is set to take on Renan Ferreira for their heavyweight strap.

The Return Of The 𝑷𝑹𝑬𝑫𝑨𝑻𝑶𝑹 🇨🇲

The Best Of @francis_ngannou | Battle Of The Giants Press Conference #PFLSuperFights | #BraceForImpact pic.twitter.com/k3s3JUnlxc
— PFL (@PFLMMA) August 23, 2024

Ngannou Says Jones Didn't Want To Fight Him When He Was In The UFC

Ahead of his MMA return on Oct. 19, Ngannou was asked about his thoughts on UFC CEO Dana White and the narrative that it was Ngannou that didn't want to fight Jones, not the other way around.

"As far as I'm concerned, it was Jon Jones didn't wanna fight with me," Ngannou said at the PFL press conference on Thursday. "According to them, and so many times that we sit down on the meeting, though, I'm like, 'Oh, it can't happen. Jon Jones doesn't wanna fight anymore...' He live in Albuquerque. He live his small life. He has a lot of money in his bank account.

"So, I think the guy who control the narrative can say whatever he wants, but that's just the narrative," Ngannou said of White's recent comments on Jones.

I mean, this is accurate.

Today, Dana tries to say Ngannou never wanted the fight, but everything fell on Jones back in 2020-21. https://t.co/YEItWkhk7p pic.twitter.com/8dkXWRVQS6
— Matthew Wells (@MrMWells) August 22, 2024

Despite Jones' recent inactivity in MMA that has seen him fought once in the last four years, White has marketed 'Bones' to be the #1 pound-for-pound fighter on the planet right now as he awaits his first heavyweight title defense against Stipe Miocic, not interim champ Tom Aspinall.

Jones didn't make his heavyweight debut until after Ngannou packed up his bags and left the UFC, winning the vacant title at UFC 285 with a submission win over Ngannou's former foe Ciryl Gane.

Ngannou Wanted To Fight Jones Under Good Conditions

Ngannou's UFC departure was anything but easy with a new contract in front of him after a standstill year as the heavyweight champion. While Ngannou claims to have wanted the Jones fight more than "Bones" himself, the matchup wasn't the only thing that mattered to "The Predator".

"I was the one requesting the Jon Jones fight, but I didn't want that like, I don't know how to say it, like a trap to get into some deal and get to something that I didn't want," Ngannou said. "I want things to be straight and square. So, yes. I wanted to fight Jon Jones, but in the good condition, not just to fight to be bailed out [of my contract]."