"UFC offers him a giant chunk of money" - When Joe Rogan prophesied a "bonkers" plan to make Jon Jones vs. Francis Ngannou come true
Joe Rogan once envisioned an ambitious plan to make the highly anticipated Jon Jones vs. Francis Ngannou fight a reality. In August 2020, 'Bones' relinquished his UFC light heavyweight title to chase a heavyweight championship opportunity. His divisional debut was expected to be a showdown with then-reigning champion Ngannou.
However, after an extended period of blame-shifting and payout issues involving both Jones and Ngannou, the much-discussed fight never materialized. Ultimately, 'The Predator' vacated his heavyweight title, left the UFC due to a contract disagreement, and joined PFL, effectively closing the door on a potential showdown with Jones.
During an October 2023 episode of The Joe Rogan Experience (via MMA Knockout), the veteran UFC commentator suggested that a Jones vs. Ngannou fight may still be possible. Rogan presented an intriguing theory and outlined a series of possibilities that could bring the super fight closer to reality in the near future:
"It can happen. Francis has his contract with the PFL. Let's say he fights out his contract, let's say he fights Tyson Fury, then he fights out his contract, and then at the end of the contract, the UFC offers him a giant chunk of money to fight Jon Jones."
He added:
"So, let's say if Jon Jones fights Stipe [Miocic], who knows who wins that fight, right? Then, maybe if he wins, Jon Jones fights Sergei Pavlovich, who's a very scary guy who's coming through the ranks. Tom Aspinall, so maybe it's Tom Aspinall. If Jon Jones wins all those, and Francis wins in the PFL and then leaves, then they can have another fight. That would be bonkers."
At that time, 'Bones' was initially slated to face Miocic at UFC 295 in November 2023. However, just a week before the fight, Jones was forced to withdraw due to a torn pectoral muscle. Meanwhile, Ngannou was preparing for a highly anticipated boxing debut against Fury in October 2023, which he lost via a controversial split decision.
Joe Rogan names Jon Jones’ post-fight moment "Highlight of the Night" at UFC 309
Jon Jones secured a dominant third-round TKO victory over Stipe Miocic at UFC 309 last Saturday, marking his first successful defense of the heavyweight title.
Following his victory, 'Bones' celebrated with a playful rendition of the infamous dance moves of U.S. president-elect Donald Trump, who was seated in the front row.
It appears that Joe Rogan thoroughly enjoyed Jones' display, as the UFC broadcaster took to Instagram to share a clip of the heavyweight champion's dance, captioning it with:
"Highlight of the night: @jonnybones with the KO victory followed by the Trump dance."
Check out Joe Rogan's post below: