Jake Paul and Nikisha Bidarian just wrapped up taking their first step in MMA promotion. And as they sat down for the post-fight press conference in front of a sea of reporters, a potential fight between Jon Jones and Francis Ngannou quickly became a subject of discussion. However, the MVP co-founder duo explained that the bout was unrealistic. And all the blame goes to the UFC CEO Dana White. But still, they won’t give up.
“I don’t think it’s very realistic, because I don’t think Dana [White] is going to allow that to happen in any way, shape, or form,” Bidarian told the media. “They know it will be the biggest fight that can happen [in] the heavyweight division in a very long time. I wish it could happen, and I think Jon deserves that moment. I think the sport deserves that moment.”
Even though Nikisa Bidarian appears to place much of the blame on Dana White for the fight never materializing, it was ultimately Francis Ngannou who chose to walk away from the UFC. The decision was made with his long-term future in mind, but the reality remains that had Ngannou stayed with the promotion as heavyweight champion, he almost certainly would have faced Jon Jones in one of the biggest title fights in MMA history.
Since leaving the UFC, Ngannou has repeatedly called for a showdown with Jones, but making that fight happen without the promotion’s approval is nearly impossible. Complicating matters further is Jon Jones’ increasingly strained relationship with the UFC itself. After spending more than a year teasing a heavyweight clash with Tom Aspinall, Jones suddenly announced his retirement from MMA last year.
Despite all of that, Jones remains under contract with the promotion and still owes fights on his deal, even as he has drifted back into retirement. That lingering contract situation is why Bidarian believes there is still a slim possibility that the UFC and MVP could eventually work together on a co-promoted event to finally make Jones vs. Ngannou a reality.
“The biggest moment that UFC has had in history was a co-promotion,” Bidarian added. “It was with Mayweather and McGregor, [the] biggest associated event ever that Dana has touched in terms of revenue. That hopefully is a moment that can happen, and we’re more than willing. There’s no hurt feelings… Exactly the opposite.”
Add to that Jon Jones’ own admission about the severe arthritis in his hip, a condition serious enough to make him eligible for hip replacement. When you combine that with everything else surrounding the situation, a potential fight between Jon Jones and Francis Ngannou starts to feel virtually impossible.
In any case, such adversities en route to a fight haven’t stopped Francis Ngannou from calling for the fight anyway.
Francis Ngannou asked Jon Jones to exit his contract with UFC
Following his emphatic first-round knockout victory over Philipe Lins, Ngannou made it clear that he still wants the long-discussed super fight against the former UFC heavyweight champion. But admitted Jones may need to break free from the UFC first.
“Jon Jones is a great fighter, probably the best that has ever done MMA,” Ngannou said after the fight. “But in terms of business, he still has something to learn, and should be watching what I am doing and learning. This fight needs to happen before we retire.”
In response, Jones acknowledged the difficulties of making the bout happen.
“I’ve got to focus on getting out of my UFC contract — that’s going to be the difficult part,” Jones said.
From the looks of things, Jon Jones is ready to fight, Francis Ngannou is ready to fight. And MVP is ready to make it happen. All that’s left is for the UFC to get on board.
