Jon Jones

Undefeated Ciryl Gane wants a shot at Francis Ngannou and the UFC heavyweight title following his victory over Alexander Volkov at UFC Fight Night on Saturday.

According to ESPN's Marc Raimondi, Gane said he is "ready" for a title opportunity before adding: "I think it's OK. Now I'm comfortable with the situation. He has the belt. ... We were born in the same gym with the same coach. Now, for the title, for the belt—I can do this."

On Saturday night, Gane beat Volkov by unanimous decision to improve his career professional record to 9-0, with six of those victories coming in the UFC.

The 31-year-old Frenchman has only been a professional MMA fighter since 2018, but he has already done enough to get himself in the championship discussion.

If Gane vs. Ngannou does happen, it would be a huge step in the development of MMA in France, as both Gane and Ngannou trained under Fernand Lopez at MMA Factory in Paris.

The 34-year-old Ngannou, who is originally from Cameroon, has turned himself into a dominant force in the heavyweight division with a career record of 16-3, including 12 wins by way of knockout.

Ngannou has won five fights in a row, including a knockout victory over Stipe Miocic at UFC 260 in March to become the heavyweight champ.

Gane has beat some impressive names in his own right over his past three outings with victories over Junior dos Santos, Jairzinho Rozenstruik and Volkov.

Per Raimondi, he is only the fifth heavyweight in history to begin his UFC career 6-0. The others are Randy Couture, Cain Velasquez, dos Santos and Ngannou, all of whom went on to become UFC heavyweight champions.

While Gane is undoubtedly a candidate for a title shot, he may have to wait a bit longer before the UFC grants him one.

He is listed at No. 3 in the UFC heavyweight rankings behind Miocic and Derrick Lewis. He will also likely have to contend with No. 1 pound-for-pound fighter Jon "Bones" Jones, who is transitioning to the heavyweight division.

While it isn't a guarantee that Gane's next fight will be a title bout, he is one of the fastest-rising stars in the UFC, so it is likely a matter of when rather than if he gets a title shot.

UFC heavyweight champion Francis Ngannou said he's still aiming for a marquee title defense against Jon Jones, who's been engaged in a long-term contract dispute with the promotion.

"I want Jon Jones," Ngannou told TMZ Sports in an interview released Friday. "... I love that fight."

Ngannou, 34, captured the heavyweight title with a victory over Stipe Miocic in March. His first defense hasn't been formally announced, but UFC president Dana White previously told TMZ he's "moved on" from the idea of Jones returning to take on the opportunity.

"We have a window where we try to build some fights and make some things happen," White said in May. "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."

A date for a clash between Ngannou and Lewis hasn't been confirmed, however, which has left the door open for speculation about Jones' potential return.

The 33-year-old Jones last fought in February 2020 when he defeated Dominick Reyes to defend the light heavyweight title. He vacated the belt in August.

In July, Jones explained on Steve-O's Wild Ride podcast (via ESPN) he was willing to sideline himself for an extended period in an effort to improve financial conditions for all fighters.

"And if I have to have a bad relationship with Dana, sit out for two years, three years, to bring light to what's happening, then these are the things people remember you for more than winning belts," he said. "I stood for the younger fighters."

Neither Jones nor the UFC has shown signs of relenting.

Meanwhile, Ngannou remains a bit in limbo, though it's likely he'll face off with Lewis in the coming months and then they could revisit the Jones idea in the fall if he has a successful title defense.

Happy Friday and welcome back to TGIFighting. We'll get you set for this weekend's MMA action and react to the news of the day. Let's go.

       

The Ultimate Fighter: Can the UFC Reinvent the Wheel?

The Ultimate Fighter's greatest asset has always been its greatest weakness.

The recipe is simple: Put a bunch of fighters in a house together. Turn off the screens. Turn on the cameras (and the booze!). Live, train, haze, make smoothies, scuffle, repeat. And at some point you fight it out for that hallowed UFC contract.

It works right up until the moment it doesn't, right when the formula becomes formulaic. It was groundbreaking when it debuted all the way back in 2005, and produced UFC luminaries like Michael Bisping, TJ Dillashaw, Robert Whittaker, Nate Diaz and Tatiana Suarez, among many others.

As the blueprint became stale, TUF began to lose steam. Showrunners tried various tweaks to keep it fresh—making it live, staging competition between fighters from different countries or training gyms, establishing a points system, battling for titles instead of contracts. Nothing stuck. To make matters worse, the show shuttled around the cable dial, and the ratings eventually cratered. No one put up much of a protest when TUF hit the deep freeze in 2018. 

On June 1, the show returns for a staggering 29th season. Now it has a steady broadcast partner in ESPN+, the streaming service with the seemingly bottomless appetite for UFC content. A total of 16 fighters—eight bantamweights and eight middleweights—will compete not just for the final prize but for the hearts, minds and eyeballs of UFC brass and the viewing public. (The UFC has been known to offer fights to non-winners after the show if they're particularly exciting or charismatic.) 

The season will feature two accomplished and likable coaches: featherweight champ Alex Volkanovski (22-1) and top contender Brian Ortega (15-1 1 NC), who will face each other at the end of the season. (They were originally scheduled to fight in March but that bout was rescheduled because of COVID-related issues.) 

Will ESPN+ subscribers seek TUF out every Tuesday? Volkanovski and Ortega are both great fighters and ambassadors of the sport, but can they break out of the bubble of bland cliches and forced antagonism? Intrigue doesn't create itself; will this season find a way to bring new drama to the equation, or is the expectation that this will suddenly seem like a fresh format simply by virtue of it not existing for three years?

Finally, do fans still care enough about the makeup of the swollen UFC roster—a necessary by-product of staging the weekly events needed to feed the ESPN beast—to tune in and root for people who may simply become another interchangeable part of a faceless whole? To put it another way, a UFC contract is certainly important to fighters, but how important is it to fans these days?

I don't know. But I'm willing to give TUF a chance. Maybe the time away was enough in and of itself to refresh the show's format. Maybe not. If it has the good fortune of finding likable personalities while avoiding tired tropes, it could be a good addition to the content stable. We'll weigh in here with updates as the season progresses.

The Trench Warfare of Jon Jones and Dana White

When UFC prez Dana White once again asserted that heavyweight champ Francis Ngannou (16-3) would not face Jon Jones (26-1 1 NC) at heavyweight as the entire planet had hoped, but would instead run back his appallingly boring 2018 bout with Derrick Lewis (25-7 1 NC), the fight world did not exactly rejoice.

The backdrop to this is White's sputtering negotiations with Jones. The UFC, it seems, has done it again.

Per usual, "it" is the money. Jones has asked for a payday more in line with those found in pro boxing. The UFC isn't going to do it. But on further review, money's not the whole story. What it actually comes down to is ego. Who between White and Jones will blink? With both sides dug in, that's the real question.

And the trenches got even deeper this week when Jones announced his hire of boxing promotor and negotiator Richard Schaefer to serve as his "advisor."

pic.twitter.com/am5KslWxmz

— Jonny Meat (@JonnyBones) May 26, 2021

For better or worse, a boxing-style payday is not the most realistic thing in the world to ask of the UFC, which notoriously and unapologetically underpays its athletes compared with those in other sports, combat or otherwise. Nevertheless, it does indeed make sense that Jones, arguably the greatest MMA fighter ever, has earned the right to ask for a bigger piece of the pie. 

Are they negotiating this in good faith? Not right now. White said he respects Schaefer, so Schaefer's presence could help shake things loose. As it is, the two sides have made things harder on themselves by negotiating through the media, both social and traditional. It's no longer a negotiation; it's a game of chicken. 

It was in that spirit that White threw out Ngannou-Lewis 2, a fight absolutely zero people want to see after their staring contest for the ages back at UFC 226. Despite now having a combined 32 knockouts between them, they only landed a combined total of 31 strikes over five rounds, per UFC stats. That's three strikes landed apiece per round, not even one per minute. Not what you're looking for from a pay-per-view co-main event. Ugly doesn't do it justice.

Earlier this week Jones reiterated that he was willing to wait for the rest of 2021—and maybe longer—for the right opportunity. Maybe a cooling-off period is just what the doctor ordered. At the end of the day, these two sides need each other—Jones-Ngannou is the biggest fight the UFC can conceivably make right now, and Jones has properly cleaned out his native light heavyweight division. So here's hoping everyone takes their genitals off the table and lets the big heads get something done. As it stands, they don't know how weird they look.

Sorry, But Cyborg Is Not the GOAT

Last weekend at Bellator 259, fight fans saw a more measured, more patient Cris "Cyborg" Justino (24-2) break down Leslie Smith (12-9-1) brick by brick before bringing the building all the way down with a last-second TKO. 

The chorus began quickly in the MMA mediasphere: Is Cyborg the GOAT of the women's game? 

Even if the answer is no, which it is, asking the question is a little silly. These GOAT debates have gotten out of hand recently. They're a lazy way to fill a column or radio segment.

This time, Cyborg herself stirred the pot—but might have inadvertently disproven her own point. After defeating Smith, she called out Cat Zingano (12-4), saying "you cannot be a GOAT if you're scared of the cat." 

Cyborg might have said more than she intended. Because the real cat here isn't Zingano but The Lioness, aka Amanda Nunes (21-4), who blistered Cyborg with a 51-second knockout back in 2018 to win the UFC women's featherweight strap.

A rematch between Cyborg and Nunes seems unrealistic, to put it mildly, with Nunes still ensconced in the UFC. But as a kind of proxy, Cyborg surely sees a resume-building opportunity in a fight Zingano—the only woman to defeat Nunes in Nunes' 15-fight UFC tenure.

But this isn't Six Degrees of Kevin Bacon. Zingano was 31 years old when she beat Nunes back in 2014, and subsequently went 1-4 en route to her UFC release. This MMA math doesn't square in Cyborg's favor.

Cyborg is a champion and a first-ballot Hall of Famer. It's fun to engage in good-natured discourse. But unless the real alpha cat comes tumbling off her perch in the sun, everyone else is fighting for No. 2. 

Richard Schaefer, who is the new advisor for ex-UFC light heavyweight champion Jon Jones, spoke with ESPN's Marc Raimondi and expressed optimism that he can work out a deal for a bout between his client and heavyweight champion Francis Ngannou:

Spoke today with Richard Schaefer, the new advisor for Jon Jones and former Golden Boy CEO. He seems pretty confident he can work something out with the UFC for a highly anticipated Jones vs. Ngannou fight. He and Dana White have a mutual respect.

— Marc Raimondi (@marcraimondi) May 27, 2021

Schaefer said he believes Ngannou vs. Jones would be one of the top three biggest PPVs in UFC history. "If I could see one fight, that’s the fight I want to see. I do believe that today it’s the biggest fight UFC can make and it’s the biggest pay-per-view fight UFC can make."

— Marc Raimondi (@marcraimondi) May 27, 2021

UFC President Dana White is happy with Jones' decision to add Schaefer to his team.

“I like Richard Schaefer and I respect the guy,” White told Kevin Iole of Yahoo Sports. “I’ve known him for a long time. He’s a real guy. He’s a guy who gets deals done.”

Jones is 26-1 with one no-contest, with his only loss occurring via disqualification (illegal downward elbows) against Matt Hamill in 2009. He successfully defended the UFC light heavyweight belt 11 times.

There's nothing more for Jones to prove in that division, and now he has set his sights on a move to heavyweight.

However, White said that Ngannou's first title defense after winning the belt off Stipe Miocic at UFC 260 in March will be against heavyweight contender Derrick Lewis. That fight will be in Houston and most likely occur in August. Therefore, a hypothetical Jones-Ngannou bout may not occur until 2022.

Plus, it appears Miocic will get a shot at the Ngannou-Lewis winner, with White saying as much on the "The Jake Asman Show" (h/t Nolan King of MMA Junkie).

Massive payday and heavyweight fights likely await Jones at some point, though, as the UFC's top pound-for-pound fighter looks toward his next challenges.

Jon Jones retained the services Richard Schaefer to aid in his mixed martial arts career.

The former UFC light heavyweight champion said Wednesday he's "excited to embark on this next chapter of my career as I continue to cement my place in history as one of the greats with Richard as my advisor."

pic.twitter.com/am5KslWxmz

— Jonny Meat (@JonnyBones) May 26, 2021

The announcement came one day after Jones indicated he may be out of action for the remainder of 2021: 

Honestly I feel like the only people that it benefits, me jumping in their early are the other heavy weights. The way I’m training, I’m gonna be a real problem this time next year. I’m comfortable enough to wait and that’s exactly what I’ll do

— Jonny Meat (@JonnyBones) May 25, 2021

Yes, I got a feeling you guys will still be around. The sport should be bigger than ever by then.. Always looking on the bright side https://t.co/YwB9nGudMb

— Jonny Meat (@JonnyBones) May 25, 2021

Schaefer worked alongside Oscar De La Hoya with Golden Boy Promotions from 2002 until his resignation in 2014. In that capacity, he helped promote a number of marquee events including De La Hoya's 2007 encounter with Floyd Mayweather Jr. and Mayweather's 2013 fight with Canelo Alvarez.

Jones last fought at UFC 247 in February 2020, earning a unanimous decision over Dominick Reyes to retain the light heavyweight title.

The 33-year-old vacated the belt amid a prolonged public standoff with the UFC, with his compensation at the crux of the dispute.

Jones' guaranteed earnings per fight has generally hovered around $500,000 depending on any additional bonuses. As a frame of reference, that figure matches what Ben Askren received for his boxing bout with Jake Paul in April.

Because Jones is still signed with the UFC, it's unclear how much hiring Schaefer can help him branch out from the promotion. Having an experienced promoter such as Schaefer could, however, work toward securing him better financial terms when he does step back inside the cage.

UFC President Dana White said he has “absolutely moved on” from waiting to see whether Jon Jones will sign a new contract to rejoin the promotion.

White explained in a TMZ Sports interview released Friday that the UFC will not hold up the heavyweight division for Jones:

"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."

Jones hasn't entered the Octagon since February 2020, when he defeated Dominick Reyes by unanimous decision to retain the light heavyweight championship. He vacated the belt in August.

The 33-year-old New York native has been embroiled in a contract dispute with White and Co. since last summer, something he discussed in June on the Steve-O's Wild Ride podcast (via ESPN), saying he was trying to help other fighters who are struggling financially.

"And if I have to have a bad relationship with Dana, sit out for two years, three years, to bring light to what's happening, then these are the things people remember you for more than winning belts. I stood for the younger fighters," Jones said.

White was asked by TMZ whether Jones is done with the UFC for good amid the extended hiatus:

"That's up to Jon. He could absolutely fight again at 205 lbs. He said he wouldn't fight [Stipe Miocic] and now Derrick and Francis are fighting so we'll see how that fight plays out.

"There's nothing wrong with going out on top either—Jon Jones is undefeated, he's never been beat.

"For those people that don't know, you see that 1 loss on his record, he didn't lose that fight he won that fight in dominant fashion like most of his fights. It was a time when the Nevada Athletic Commission was at its weakest and there was a referee that shouldn't have been in there and he stole that fight from Jon Jones. So, it wouldn't be a bad thing for him to go out on top."

Jones owns a 26-1 career record with one no-contest. The only loss came as White described, and that was all the way back in December 2009.

His return fight, whether it's at heavyweight or light heavyweight, would generate plenty of attention and hype, so there's plenty of incentive for the sides to get a deal done.

In the meantime, the UFC is moving forward with plans for the clash between Ngannou and Lewis. Perhaps by the time the winner of that bout is ready to fight again, something can be worked out with Jones.

Former UFC light heavyweight champion Jon Jones and current heavyweight title holder Frances Ngannou have been jawing back and forth on Twitter in recent days, which continued Saturday.

I shouldn’t have to motivate you Jonny...if it’s not in you already you’ve already lost. I know my motivation 🌍 https://t.co/YzPZgimlWR

— Francis Ngannou (@francis_ngannou) April 30, 2021

https://twitter.com/JonnyBones/status/1388327042899382275

https://twitter.com/JonnyBones/status/1388327857240281089

Jones, 33, is moving up to the heavyweight division after years of dominance at light heavyweight. He's gone 26-1 (one no-contest) in his professional career, with his only loss coming via disqualification for illegal downward elbows in 2009 to Matt Hamill. Otherwise, he's defeated every man he's faced in the Octagon.

Ngannou won the heavyweight belt off Stipe Miocic via second-round knockout at UFC 260 in March. He had previously lost to Miocic in a heavyweight title fight back in Jan. 2018 at UFC 220.

The 34-year-old is on a roll now, however, winning five straight to go to 16-3 overall and finding himself atop the heavyweight rankings.

Jones has his sights set on him, though, and an epic match between the two fighters likely awaits.  

UFC President Dana White said Friday that Derrick Lewis deserves a shot at UFC heavyweight champion Francis Ngannou before Jon Jones.

Appearing on The Bill Simmons Podcast (h/t Shaheen Al-Shatti of The Athletic), White said: "We tried to work with Jon, and, you know, we eventually have to move on. Because realistically, in all honesty, Derrick Lewis is the guy who deserves the [Ngannou] fight. ... So that's the fight that should happen and we'll just roll and do what we do."

Ngannou won the UFC heavyweight title for the first time last month when he beat Stipe Miocic by second-round knockout.

The 33-year-old Jones, long considered the best pound-for-pound fighter in the UFC, vacated the light heavyweight title last year with an eye toward moving up to the heavyweight ranks.

Jones has not fought since UFC 247 in February 2020, however, and is in the midst of a contract dispute with the promotion.

During an interview with FightHype.com (h/t ESPN's Brett Okamoto) earlier this month, Jones expressed his belief that a title fight with Ngannou will happen: "I think it's going to happen. I think the UFC will eventually do the right thing. This is one of the greatest fights of our generation, and it would be really sad if it weren't to happen. It would be a real tragedy. All in good time. We're patient."

While Jones vs. Ngannou may happen eventually, White's focus is on Lewis vs. Ngannou.

In the interview with Simmons, White said Jones wants $30 million guaranteed to fight Ngannou, which has been a sticking point in negotiations.

Given Jones' status as one of the biggest stars and draws in UFC history, it is fair to say Jones vs. Ngannou would be a bigger deal than Lewis vs. Ngannou to prospective pay-per-view buyers.

Jones is 26-1 with one no-contest in his career, and the loss only came because he was disqualified for illegal strikes against Matt Hamill in 2009.

Ngannou is 16-3 with 12 wins by knockout, and he is riding a five-fight winning streak with victories over big names Curtis Blaydes, Cain Velasquez, Junior dos Santos, Jairzinho Rozenstruik and Miocic.

It is difficult to deny Lewis deserves a title shot, though, especially since Jones has yet to test himself at the heavyweight level.

Lewis is a heavyweight veteran on a four-fight winning streak, including a knockout win over Blaydes in February,

He is 25-7 with 20 knockouts and owns a victory over Ngannou, beating him by unanimous decision at UFC 226 in 2018.

Since Lewis is on a roll and has proved he can beat Ngannou, it is easy to see why White has his sights set on that rematch.

Welcome back to TGIFighting, our regular MMA column publishing every Friday morning. Here, we'll bring you exclusive interviews, preview upcoming cards and maybe try to have a little fun. Let's get it on.

Is Kevin Holland Overdoing It?

I'm starting to think Kevin Holland (21-6) might be a little, I don't know. Over the top? Maybe way over the top? When he steps inside the fencing Saturday to face fellow middleweight Marvin Vettori (16-4-1) in the main event of UFC on ABC 2, it will be Holland's seventh fight in the past 12 months—and three weeks after Derek Brunson beat him decisively at UFC on ESPN 21.

When do you start to wonder whether Holland is overplaying his hand? Sure, he'd won six straight up until Brunson, making him one of the standout fighters of 2020. But it's taken a weird turn. As Brunson was beating him, Holland, who may be the UFC's most prolific trash-talker, seemed more interested in real-time self-commentating than attempting to fight. It was so strange that UFC President Dana White later wondered aloud whether Holland had suffered a "mental breakdown," per Yahoo's Kevin Iole. 

A little bit of Holland goes a long way, and we've been getting a lot of Holland. If he wins Saturday—which he's not favored to do, as he's a +260 underdog per DraftKings (bet $100 to win $260)—this may be a moot point. He's certainly a good and sometimes entertaining fighter, so hopefully he keeps himself from burning out or letting his gimmick wear thin, if it's not too late. 

      

Do I…Do I Actually Like the New UFC Fight Kits?

By Jove! I think those new kits look pretty sharp.

Take this opinion with a grain of salt, as the last time I engaged in fashion design was never, but the colors seem more vibrant compared with the blocky black and white of the old Reebok uniforms. We'll see how they play this Saturday on the ABC mother ship when they make their big debut. Hey, if they spell the fighters' names correctly, Venum will be ahead of the game.

UFC’s new fight kits by Venum have been revealed 👀 (via @ufc) pic.twitter.com/WzsPaNvxJf

— ESPN MMA (@espnmma) April 6, 2021

A welcome change beyond the design is that competitors will receive a small uptick in compensation from the deal compared with Reebok. As before, the pay will be based on a tiered structure that rewards experience. This won't close the pay gap between MMA and other sports, but it's an improvement. 

           

The UFC Does the Right Thing with Belal Muhammad

It wasn't Belal Muhammad's fault that Leon Edwards nearly gouged his eye out.

So it felt a little unfair when Edwards (18-3, 1 NC) received a sparkly and surely lucrative engagement with the great Nate Diaz (20-12) afterward, while Muhammad (18-3, 1 NC) found himself without a dance partner. Why should he be left in the dust?

Belal Muhammad reports 'no permanent damage' after eye poke, only 'shattered heart' https://t.co/A6N2Hb1cxC

— MMA Junkie (@MMAJunkie) March 14, 2021

Now the UFC has made it right, giving Muhammad a date with the legendary Demian Maia (28-10) June 12 at UFC 263. This is the last fight on Maia's UFC contract, and at age 43 he's into the dregs of his career. But his big name still remains. Will he lay his gloves on the Octagon floor after this bout? Either way, Muhammad has a winnable fight that could well and truly put him over.

            

Jon Jones and Boxing Money—What's Reasonable?

If you don't know MMA writer and insider John Nash, take this opportunity to acquaint yourself. Over at Bloody Elbow, Nash breaks down why Jon Jones (26-1, 1 NC), as great and popular as he is, can never command the sort of big boxing-style paydays he's demanding to move up to heavyweight and challenge terrifying new champ Francis Ngannou (16-3). 

Why not?

Jones has said he wants to get paid like boxing superstar Deontay Wilder. Per Nash's report, White said last May that Jones wants $30 million to face Ngannou. In his last fight, a 2020 win over Dominick Reyes, Jones took in a reported $540,000 purse, per MMA Manifesto, and Jones said in a later tweet he makes around $5 million total per fight, a figure that could include incentives. Bit of a gap there.

As much as Jones might wish it to be true, the UFC is simply too powerful, with too big of a stranglehold on the MMA market—an estimated 90 percent, according to Nash—while boxing is much more fragmented.

Generally speaking, a top UFC fighter can't expect to go to Bellator, for example, and assume he or she will receive the sort of compensation available from the UFC. Whereas in boxing, promotions compete for the services of a given fighter, leading to bidding wars that in turn lead to massive paydays.

This is not to let the UFC off the hook for low fighter pay. But it does illustrate that Jones' demands are simply not realistic at this juncture and probably never will be without a fighters union or some other sea change. For the moment, here's hoping they can meet somewhere in the middle, because I need to see this fight.

         

Stone Cold Lead-Pipe Lock of the Week

Record: 5-0

Here's your conservative betting pick for this week. Toss it in your parlay or just sit back and watch the low returns roll in.

This week we're locking in on a slight underdog in strawweight Mackenzie Dern (10-1), who is at +115, per DraftKings, to upend Nina Ansaroff (10-6). In her last battle, a unanimous decision over Virna Jandiroba (16-2), Dern showed an improved striking game to complement her world-class jiu-jitsu. Her opponent on Saturday is no Jandiroba, as Ansaroff sits at No. 5 on the official UFC strawweight rankings, six spots higher than Dern.

In her last bout, Ansaroff dropped a decision to another top-notch grappler in Tatiana Suarez (8-0). 

(By the by, can someone please take a fight with Suarez already? It's not good for anyone to have her moldering on the sidelines like this. Don't be scared, homies.)

Ansaroff also is returning after nearly two years away from the sport to start a family. That will leave anyone with Tin Man-level ring rust. 

With that in mind and with that grappling to fall back on, Dern has all the tools to turn the tables on Ansaroff.

             

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Despite taking a strong-arm approach with UFC, Jon Jones is optimistic the promotion will do what it takes to make the fight between himself and heavyweight champion Francis Ngannou happen. 

Speaking to FightHype.com, Jones said "I think it's gonna happen" and that UFC will "do the right thing" when asked if the Ngannou bout was going to get booked (starts at 1:00 mark):

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tGOtJrpPbx0?start=60

Money is the source of Jones' frustration with UFC as he prepares to move up to heavyweight for the first time in his career:

Everyone knows fighters don’t make anything close to what they actually bring in when they fight. I really don’t see what the big deal is paying your main event for one of the biggest possible fights ever. It’s not like I’ll be asking for my actual fair share

— Jonny Meat (@JonnyBones) March 31, 2021

UFC president Dana White told reporters after Ngannou defeated Stipe Miocic at UFC 260 that if Jones really wanted to fight the heavyweight champion, he "knows he can get the fight."

#UFC president @DanaWhite responds to @JonnyBones' recent tweets following @Francis_Ngannou's KO win at #UFC260:

"If Jon Jones really wants the fight, Jon Jones knows he can get the fight."

Watch full video: https://t.co/zRXsTxQwDa pic.twitter.com/cTLrywB0kF

— MMA Fighting (@MMAFighting) March 28, 2021

This isn't the first instance of a UFC fighter trying to use his or her leverage to get a larger purse for a marquee fight. 

Per Ryan Harkness of MMA Mania, UFC fighters make 19.5 percent of the gross revenue generated by the promotion. 

Welterweight star Jorge Masvidal tweeted about the disproportionate amount of money that fighters receive when he was in the midst of a contract dispute with UFC last June:

50% of the revenue. I don’t get paid on the hot dog you sell in the arena or the logo on the cage. I’ve never made a dollar on a ticket you sell. I get punched in the face for a living and even I know the pandemic or what’s left of it has nothing to do with it

— Jorge Masvidal (@GamebredFighter) June 5, 2020

A Jones-Ngannou matchup is one of the biggest money fights UFC can make right now.

Ngannou has won five consecutive fights after back-to-back losses against Miocic and Derrick Lewis in 2018. The Predator most recently knocked out Miocic in the second round of UFC 260 on March 27. 

Jones vacated the light-heavyweight title in August to prepare for a move up to the heavyweight division. He is unbeaten in 18 consecutive fights dating back to 2010.