Tyson Fury confirms he received an offer from the UFC to fight Jon Jones
Tyson Fury vs. Jon Jones was almost a reality according to 'The Gypsy King'.
The British heavyweight is currently slated to return to the ring in October. Back for the first time since a knockout win over Derek Chisora in December, Fury will face Francis Ngannou. A former heavyweight champion, 'The Predator' has long teased a potential move to the boxing ring.
The two heavyweights will now headline an ESPN pay-per-view card in Saudi Arabia later this Fall. However, as many fans likely remember, the fight nearly didn't come together. For months, Fury teased that he would instead fight Jon Jones.
'Bones' is now slated to face Stipe Miocic in October, but also showed interest in the bout. While Tyson Fury wound up going with Francis Ngannou as his next fight, a fight with Jones was a serious discussion. In a recent interview with The Sun, he revealed that he spoke to the UFC regarding the bout.
Furthermore, he even received a contract from the company for the MMA fight. In the interview, Fury revealed:
"That's 100 per cent true [that I received an offer to fight Jones]. I've had an offer from the UFC, from [WME] IMG, to fight Jon Jones. Frank Warren knows about it, my team knows about it. It's still ongoing and we're looking to move forward on that for sure. Me and Jon have even spoke about it. It's definitely a real thing."
Has Tyson Fury trained in MMA before?
Tyson Fury has trained MMA a little bit, giving him a reason for some confidence.
'The Gypsy King' is one of the greatest boxers on the planet. Now slated to face Francis Ngannou in October, all he spoke about was MMA at today's press conference announcing his fight with 'The Predator'.
On the red carpet, the British star discussed his return. There, he stated that he felt confident that he could defeat Ngannou not only in the ring but in the cage. Furthermore, Fury opined that he could finish the former UFC heavyweight champion in seconds.
While those are bold comments, Tyson Fury has trained in MMA before. In 2019, he famously trained a little bit with former UFC welterweight title challenger Darren Till. In several videos, 'The Gorilla' is seen holding pads for the boxer.
In the clips, the British star looks fluid and clearly packs a punch. Is it enough to beat Francis Ngannou? That remains to be seen.