Jon Jones: “Getting out of my UFC contract” is key to Francis Ngannou fight
Jon Jones said he wants out of his UFC contract so he can chase a fight with Francis Ngannou, making the remark moments after Ngannou stopped Philipe Lins at MVP’s Netflix event on Saturday night. Jones was on the broadcast for the Rousey vs. Carano card when the subject came up, and he admitted the deal could be hard to pull off unless he is free from UFC obligations first.
Ngannou’s first-round knockout of Lins put the heavyweight rivalry back in the spotlight. After the finish, Ngannou again pushed the case for a Jones fight and argued that the former UFC champion still needs to understand the business side of combat sports, while saying the matchup could still happen before either man retires.
Jon Jones wants out of UFC contract to make Francis Ngannou fight happen
Jones, though, sounded realistic about the roadblock. He said he does not believe Dana White wants to do business with Ngannou, which is why he pointed to Most Valuable Promotions as a possible route for the bout. He added that getting out of his UFC contract would be the difficult part, but said that if it could happen, “that would be great.”
“I’ve got to try to focus on getting out of my UFC contract. That’s going to be the difficult part if this fight [with Francis Ngannou] is going to happen. I don’t think Dana is interested in doing business with Francis, so doing it with MVP would probably be the only way to make it happen, and if we can get out of my contract that would be great.”
Jones was speaking after Ngannou had just reminded everyone what he brings to the cage. Ngannou’s return to MMA came on MVP’s first live card, and the event gave the fight world a fresh reason to talk about the long-rumored Jones matchup. Jones being on the broadcast added another layer, since he was reacting in real time rather than repeating a talking point from a later interview.
Ngannou joined PFL after leaving the UFC, where he became heavyweight champion in 2021 by beating Stipe Miocic and defended the belt against Ciryl Gane in 2022. Ngannou fought once in MMA for PFL, then boxed twice, losing to Anthony Joshua after nearly upsetting Tyson Fury. After Ngannou left the UFC, Jon Jones vacated his light heavyweight throne to move up and fight in the heavyweight division where he picked up the world title.
For now, the fight still looks tied to promotion politics more than sporting logic. Both men remain elite names at heavyweight, but Jones is still under UFC contract and Ngannou is working outside the promotion, which leaves the matchup dependent on unusual business terms rather than a straightforward booking.
