Jones Seeks UFC Contract Release for Ngannou Fight

Jon Jones hasn't entirely given up hope for a showdown with Francis Ngannou, but he acknowledges that it's far more likely he's already fought his last career bout. During his appearance at the inaugural MVP MMA gala on Saturday, Jones commented on Ngannou's devastating first-round knockout of Felipe Lins.

He admitted he would still relish the opportunity to face the former two-division champion, a matchup that was heavily rumored in the UFC a few years ago. As much as Jones desires this fight, he remains under contract with the UFC, and it's difficult to imagine the organization simply releasing him for a lucrative bout with another promoter.

Jones still held the UFC heavyweight title when talks of a potential clash with Tom Aspinall were circulating, but he ultimately decided to relinquish the belt and retire. Weeks later, Jones announced plans to compete again after the UFC unveiled a White House event in June. Despite his eagerness to participate in the historic gala, UFC CEO Dana White repeatedly stated he couldn't trust Jones to actually show up and would under no circumstances allow him to fight at that event.

This led to Jones's latest withdrawal from the sport, and according to him, it's far more probable that he's already fought his last match than the Ngannou fight ever materializing.

“I think I'm retired,” Jones said. “I think I am. I have a very good agent, the Kawa brothers, and these guys keep me busy. I'm constantly on the road, building my own businesses, and supporting other companies. So, I feel that if things weren't going so well, I'd feel pressure to get back in the cage, but professionally, everything is going so well that I truly no longer have a reason to fight.”

As for his thoughts on Ngannou's victory on Saturday, Jones was impressed but didn't fail to note that Lins was significantly lighter and physically weaker even before the fight began.

“He looked good tonight, but he fought a guy who weighed around 220 pounds,” Jones commented on Ngannou. “That guy was afraid to exchange with Francis. He definitely wasn't on the same kickboxing level as him. I think Francis was very impressive tonight. He's starting to use kicks. He landed a lot of good high kicks tonight. I'm just excited to see what's next for him.”