By Francis Ngannou, now preparing for his Professional Fighters League (PFL) debut, has responded to recent claims by UFC President Dana White that he was the one who avoided a fight with Jon Jones. Ngannou, the former UFC heavyweight champion, left the promotion over a year ago to explore free agency, ultimately signing with the PFL.
During a post-fight press conference following the latest edition of The Contender Series, White suggested that the highly anticipated bout between Ngannou and Jones never materialized because Ngannou was unwilling to step into the octagon. White stated, “You can’t make people fight, and we couldn’t make Francis fight [Jon Jones].”
Ngannou, however, sees the situation differently. Speaking at a pre-fight press conference for his upcoming bout against Renan Ferreira in October, he addressed White’s comments with a smile. “I think that’s the new narrative since he needs to say something either way,” Ngannou remarked. “As far as I’m concerned, it was Jon Jones that didn’t want to fight me — according to them.”
Ngannou elaborated on the negotiations that took place during his time with the UFC, recalling discussions where UFC representatives allegedly mentioned that Jones was no longer interested in fighting. “So many times we sit down in the meeting, [they said] ‘oh, it can’t happen, Jon Jones doesn’t want to fight anymore. He’s living in Albuquerque, he’s living his small life, he has a lot of money in his bank account.’”
Ngannou emphasized that while White might control the narrative, the reality, as he experienced it, was different. He made it clear that he was actively pursuing a fight with Jones, but not at any cost. Ngannou was seeking specific conditions in his contract that would grant him more freedom, including the ability to pursue interests outside of the UFC, such as boxing matches with Tyson Fury and Anthony Joshua.
Ultimately, Ngannou chose to leave the UFC, relinquishing the heavyweight title and stepping away from a potential showdown with Jones. Despite this, he maintains that his decision was not about avoiding a fight but about securing terms that aligned with his personal and professional goals.
“I was the one requesting the Jon Jones fight,” Ngannou asserted, “but I didn’t want [to get trapped] into some deal and get to something that I didn’t want. I wanted things to be straight and square. So yes, I wanted to fight Jon Jones but in good conditions. Not just to fight to be paid out.”
As Ngannou looks ahead to his PFL debut, he remains confident in his decisions and ready to face new challenges, but he’s also clear that the narrative surrounding the Jon Jones fight is far from one-sided.
