Dana White reacts to the idea of cross promoting Jon Jones vs. Francis Ngannou
It is quite clear that UFC CEO Dana White has no plans doing business of any kind with PFL MMA.
Francis Ngannou’s stock has soared in the world of boxing after he went the distance with Tyson Fury. He almost defeated Fury at his own game. While Ngannou is enjoying great success outside of the UFC, one of the downfalls is that the lone appealing MMA fight for him is against Jon Jones.
PFL founder Donn Davis has admitted that Ngannou’s biggest MMA fight is against Jones. With “Bones” being the reigning UFC heavyweight champion, and Ngannou no longer under UFC contract, that means the only way a bout between the two could happen is if both sides agree to cross promote.
That will not be happening under Dana White’s watch.
Dana White Shuts Down Idea Of UFC-PFL Cross Promotion
During the UFC 295 post-fight press conference, Dana White spoke to media members. During the presser, White was asked about potentially doing business with the PFL in order to make Jon Jones vs. Francis Ngannou a reality. The UFC boss clearly believes the ship has sailed on that fight.
“No, I’m not interested in that,” White said. “We tried to make that fight happen, they didn’t wanna do it and it’s done. He doesn’t fight here anymore. I’m not interested.”
White doubled down, mentioning the UFC setting live gate records for the top three spots at Madison Square Garden.
“Should I? We got one, two, and three. They can’t sell a f*cking gate,” White said.
While Ngannou was expected to make his PFL debut in 2024, many are wondering if those plans will be put on hold now that “The Predator” is a hot ticket for boxing promoters. Time will tell what’s next for Ngannou. As for Jones, he is recovering from a torn pectoral tendon, which booted him from a planned heavyweight title defense against Stipe Miocic at UFC 295.
Topics:
Dana White Francis Ngannou Jon Jones Professional Fighters League (PFL) UFC
