Ngannou Calls for a Heavyweight Fight With Jones
Francis Ngannou’s November 30, 2024 post about a heavyweight matchup was a callout, not an announced bout. He was responding to a message from the reigning heavyweight champion pushing back at criticism over his long-discussed matchup with interim champion Tom Aspinall. Ngannou appeared to back that fighter while arguing that their own bout was the “right fight” for his legacy, adding the hashtag #NgannouVSJones. At the time, Ngannou was signed with the PFL and his prospective opponent held a heavyweight title in the other promotion.
Why the fight did not happen
The two heavyweights never met. Their separate promotions would have needed to agree on a cross-promotional bout, and the PFL’s chief executive publicly said in 2024 that his organization was willing to discuss one. Ngannou later said he did not believe the promotion had ever seriously put the matchup on the table during his earlier contract talks. The original report on Ngannou’s post and the PFL’s position provides that context.
Where things stand
Ngannou was released by the PFL in March 2026. He returned to MMA on May 16, knocking out Philipe Lins in the first round at the Rousey–Carano event; Netflix’s official event recap confirms the result. Jones retired in 2025, later campaigned to compete on the White House card, and then said in October 2026 that he would “more than likely” not fight again, while leaving the possibility open. His latest public comments leave any future Ngannou matchup speculative.
Sources
Tags: MMA, Combat Sports
