Dana White claims he has “absolutely moved on” from the idea of Jon Jones fighting at heavyweight

By Adam D Martin - May 21, 2021

UFC president Dana White claims that he has “absolutely moved on” from the idea of former 205lbs champion Jon Jones fighting at heavyweight.

Dana White, UFC, Tony Ferguson, Jon Jones, UFC on ESPN 12

It was last summer that Jones vacated the UFC light heavyweight title and made his intentions known that he was moving up to heavyweight in 2021. He has spent the last year bulking up to get stronger, and he was widely expected to fight the winner of the UFC 260 main event between Francis Ngannou and Stipe Miocic, which Ngannou won via second-round knockout. However, after going through a very public contract negotiation with White for his move up to heavyweight, it appears that move is not on the table.

Speaking to TMZ Sports, Jones said that he has officially “moved on” from the idea of “Bones” fighting at heavyweight while confirming Derrick Lewis will fight Ngannou next.

“Yeah, I’ve absolutely moved on. Listen, I put on fights every Saturday. We have a window where we try to build some fights and make some things happen. If the fights don’t happen within that window, we move on, and realistically, I mean I’ve been saying it since the beginning, Derrick Lewis is the guy who should be getting the title shots. He beat Francis Ngannou. He’s next in line, he’s coming off of great performances and that’s a wrap. We’re moving on,” White said.

It’s unfortunate the UFC and Jones haven’t been able to come to a deal as, for years, fans and media have been intrigued by the idea of him moving up to the UFC’s heaviest weight class. However, it appears as though White and the UFC are just way too far apart on a new contract to make things work, and for now, the UFC has moved on from the fight.

Do you think Dana White and Jon Jones will strike a deal for him to fight at heavyweight?


Topics:

Dana White Jon Jones UFC