Jon Jones dismisses potential clash with Israel Adesanya, says Francis Ngannou is ‘Worth entertaining’
UFC heavyweight champion Jon Jones has no interest in a potential superfight with middleweight titleholder Israel Adesanya.
Bones’ made his triumphant return to the Octagon in March, scoring a quick first-round submission victory over top contender Ciryl Gane to capture the vacant heavyweight championship. A month later, ‘The Last Stylebender’ delivered a highlight-reel-worthy knockout against longtime rival Alex Pereira to reclaim the 185-pound crown. With both men perched firmly on their thrones once again, fans began to speculate about a potential superfight between the two top stars.
Well, don’t hold your breath. Despite making his first appearance in more than three years, Jon Jones does not have any intention of sticking around long. Dedicating his time left to a clash with general consensus heavyweight GOAT Stipe Miocic, ‘Bones’ has zero interest in a champion vs. champion showdown with Israel Adesanya.
“I feel like my legacy and my career are past his,” Jones said in an interview with Fox Sports Australia. “If this was like an Instagram following competition then yeah, we’d be neck and neck. But when it comes to our body of work, there’s no competition and there’s no reason for me to compare myself to him.
“He’s done great things, and you know, people say there’s lots of room in the sky for many stars, and he is undoubtedly a star but I feel like our careers are really un-comparable. Not a fight that I need, no.”
Jon Jones Willing to Put a Pause on Retirement for Heavyweight War with Francis Ngannou
After 27 career wins and three world title reigns across two different divisions, Jon Jones has little left to prove in the world of mixed martial arts. Once he closes the door on his still-being-written chapter with Stipe Miocic, ‘Bones’ looks content to call it a career. But there is still one man that would keep him from hanging up the gloves permanently.
Yeah, I do believe a Francis Ngannou fight would be worth entertaining, not retiring, yeah, I think if a Francis fight would come with some serious revenue, and I think that would make it worth my while,” Jones explained. “Francis is a former champion, and he’s pretty damn popular here in America and across the world. He’s very well-known and it would bring in a lot of money, and for that, I would be willing to come back.”
Unfortunately, the chances of Jon Jones vs. Francis Ngannou happening inside the Octagon are no better than seeing Jones vs. Adesanya. After nearly two years of negotiations, the promotion parted ways with Ngannou. UFC President Dana White has stated on more than one occasion that ‘The Predator’ would never work for the company again after bending over backward trying to keep the Cameroonian on the roster.
Since becoming a free agent, Ngannou has made it difficult for promotions to acquire his services with both ONE Championship and the BKFC noting that the former UFC heavyweight champion was simply asking for too much. However, recent rumors suggest at least one company was willing to give in to Ngannou’s demands, striking a verbal agreement. No official announcement has been made, but the PFL looks to be that company.
Unless Jon Jones is planning to make his own jump from the Octagon to the Smart Cage, it’s probably time to give up on ever seeing the two larger-than-life combat sports stars go toe-to-toe.
