When the UFC heavyweight division finally gained momentum with Francis Ngannou as its centerpiece, things took a sharp turn. The relationship between Ngannou and UFC CEO Dana White began to fall apart. In 2023, the former champion exited the promotion over contract disputes, chasing greater freedom, higher pay, and the opportunity to box. For Ngannou, it wasn’t just about money—it was about control. While many fighters leave and return, Ngannou’s case is different. Dana White has seemingly burned every bridge. “So he’s full of s— there,” White said when asked about Ngannou. Amid the chaos surrounding Jon Jones, MMA analyst Luke Thomas has now offered a word of advice to the UFC boss.
With Jon Jones as the reigning heavyweight champion, the entire division feels like it has been held hostage by ‘Bones.’ Why? Because he was supposed to face Tom Aspinall ages ago, yet the fight has seen constant delays. Fans have grown increasingly frustrated and are no longer willing to tolerate further postponements.
Tom Aspinall has now held the interim championship belt for over 500 days, while top contenders like Ciryl Gane, Alexander Volkov, and Sergei Pavlovich are all eyeing their shot at the title. At this point, UFC CEO Dana White will have to make a tough call—either ensure that Jon Jones finally defends his title against Aspinall or strip him of the belt altogether.
Well, Luke Thomas has a better solution for the UFC CEO, while having a conversation on his Youtube handle, the analyst stated that Dana White should just mend his relationship with Francis Ngannou in an attempt to get the heavyweight division back on track, “Second thing I’m going to say is you must repair the relationship with Francis. Now, Francis doesn’t have a whole lot of time left in the sport, but I’ve made this point—even if Jones was doing whatever the [ __ ] he’s been doing for however long he’s doing it, and even if you still wanted to have the Stipe fight (which was a stupid mistake and a bad idea), the bigger point is you could have had two Tom versus Francis fights by now.”
He further added, “You could have had two of them. Right? I mean, this is insane what we’ve given up as a consequence. Francis can’t save it, but Francis versus Gane 2? I would watch that. I would watch that. Francis versus Tom? I would absolutely watch that. Francis versus Jon? I mean, it’s a foregone conclusion, frankly. Francis versus some of these other guys—I might still watch as well.”
The heavyweight division is in the doldrums, and Luke Thomas believes that if Francis Ngannou returns to the UFC, the division could be revitalized. However, Ngannou is already earning massive sums from his boxing career. According to the latest estimates, ‘The Predator’ has pocketed nearly $30 million from just two boxing matches.
MMA: UFC Fight Night-Johnson vs Reis, Apr 15, 2017 Kansas City, MO, USA UFC President Dana White following the Demetrious Johnson not pictured and Wilson Reis not pictured fight during UFC Fight Night at Sprint Center. Mandatory Credit: Ron Chenoy-USA TODAY Sports, 15.04.2017 21:15:30, 10015017, UFC Fight Night, Wilson Reis, Demetrious Johnson, Sprint Center, MMA PUBLICATIONxINxGERxSUIxAUTxONLY Copyright: xRonxChenoyx 10015017
For UFC to bring in Ngannou to the heavyweight roster, they would have to offer something similar to him. Well, in reality, even if Dana White tried to mend his relationship with the former Heavyweight champion, he might not come back due to self-respect issues.
So, what’s left for the UFC CEO is either to strip Jon Jones of the title or have him fight Tom Aspinall. Interestingly, there has been an update on this, as revealed by Jones.
Jon Jones reveals his intentions as Dana White scrambles to save the heavyweight division
June has arrived, but the heavyweight division remains stagnant as the champion shows no intention of facing Tom Aspinall—at least for now. However, he has just released a statement that has taken the entire MMA community by surprise. “Tom and I have agreed to wait for the UFC to make their announcements,” Jones stated in the recent seminar he had in Thailand.
After months of back-and-forth, this is the most significant statement the heavyweight champion has made regarding the matchup. According to Jones, he is waiting for the UFC to announce something, but what exactly? That remains the question. Jones might have said this, but Michael Bisping is still not in the mood to believe whatever he has to say, “Do we believe Jon Jones? That’s the question. Is he just saying this to appease everyone at the seminar, so that people don’t have, you know, some kind of negative response, or is he actually telling the truth? My guess is that he’s telling the truth. My guess is that he will take the fight.”
Will Jon Jones take the fight? This question has been lingering in the minds of MMA fans for years. With Tom Aspinall setting the narrative, a single statement from Jones has shifted the conversation to an entirely different spectrum. Regardless, what’s important now is to see how Dana White will respond.
The post Dana White Told to Reconcile With Francis Ngannou as Jon Jones, Tom Aspinall Hiatus Puts Heavyweight Division in Turmoil appeared first on EssentiallySports.
