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The UFC will be forever plagued for failing to book Jon Jones vs. Francis Ngannou for the heavyweight title. Instead, 'The Predator' left the promotion to sign with a rival organization, the PFL. Meanwhile, 'Bones' went on to fight for the title the Cameroonian knockout artist had vacated.
To make matters worse, Jones faced an opponent that Ngannou had previously beaten: Ciryl Gane. However, it isn't the only dream fight the promotion has failed to deliver. Others have fallen through, whether due to Dana White struggling at the negotiating table or some other variable.
Whatever the reason, this has happened several times throughout the promotion's existence, and fans will hope it stops happening moving forward.
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#5. Ronda Rousey vs. Cris Cyborg, UFC women's bantamweight/featherweight division
When Ronda Rousey was at the peak of her success, there was no fight that fans clamored for more than a matchup with Cris Cyborg. The two women had concurrent dominant runs in the women's divisions, with Rousey reigning supreme in the UFC while Cyborg dominated Invicta.
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The two had a widely publicized feud, during which both women traded insults, accusing the other of ducking a bout. Unfortunately, the promotion failed to capitalize on what could have been a big-money fight—the biggest in women's MMA history. Cyborg, who has spent her career at featherweight, couldn't make bantamweight.
Nevertheless, Dana White and Co. demanded that she do so, asserting that a matchup with Rousey would never transpire anywhere but bantamweight, despite the fact that Rousey had fought at featherweight before. Thus, the matchup fizzled out and never came to fruition, losing its luster once Rousey finally tasted defeat.
#4. José Aldo vs. Dominick Cruz, UFC featherweight/bantamweight division
There was a time when José Aldo vs. Dominick Cruz was a dream match. In some respects, it still is. The Brazilian legend previously reigned supreme in the UFC featherweight division, while Cruz ruled with an iron fist at bantamweight. Moreover, both men dominated the WEC together.
In short, it didn't take long for fans to start speculating about the outcome of a matchup. After all, it's a stylistic clash between two unique fighters. Aldo's all-time great anti-wrestling, thunderous low kicks, and slick boxing skills make for a curious puzzle for the highly mobile, evasive Cruz with elite wrestling and footwork.
Despite its status as a dream fight, the promotion never showed any serious interest in booking the bout. Unfortunately, this isn't the only hypothetical fight involving Aldo that never saw the light of day.
#3. José Aldo vs. Anthony Pettis, UFC featherweight/lightweight division
José Aldo's half-a-decade of championship dominance coincided with Anthony Pettis' rise to title success. The two were some of the most exciting strikers the lighter divisions had ever seen at the time. Aldo was a bruising Muay Thai specialist with punishing low kicks.
Pettis, by contrast, was a speedy Taekwondo buzzsaw with an arsenal of flashy kicks. Given Aldo's size advantage at featherweight at the time and his past struggles with weight cuts, many had speculated on his chances at lightweight. However, this was a different era in the UFC.
Champions from different divisions rarely faced each other in superfights, and there was no tangible interest from the top brass to book the fight, despite fan interest.
#2. Brock Lesnar vs. Fedor Emelianenko, UFC heavyweight division
One of the biggest fights to never see the light of day was the much-talked-about clash between Brock Lesnar and heavyweight GOAT Fedor Emelianenko. In fact, even UFC CEO Dana White regrets fumbling the negotiations for the matchup, which left Emelianenko with a distinctly negative opinion of him.
When Lesnar had solidified his reign as UFC heavyweight champion, he had a shortage of compelling challengers, and Emelianenko was still fighting at an elite level. The biggest question mark surrounding 'The Last Emperor's' legacy is the fact that he never fought in the promotion.
And due to the promotion's inability to coax him into his ranks, he never did, and the monumental clash between Lesnar and Emelianenko devolved into nothing more than a hypothetical.
#1. Jon Jones vs. Francis Ngannou, UFC heavyweight
Jon Jones vs. Francis Ngannou is one of the biggest negotiation blunders the UFC has made in recent memory. At the time, Jones had vacated his light heavyweight title in pursuit of heavyweight glory. However, it took him three years to bulk up, during which he engaged Dana White in a very public spat.
While Ngannou, then the heavyweight champion, awaited Jones' arrival, 'Bones' argued with White over the financial terms of a contract to fight Ngannou, ultimately pricing himself out of the fight. In retaliation, White lambasted Jones in the media, implying that he was fearful of Ngannou.
The situation worsened when Ngannou and White subsequently fell out following 'The Predator's' decision to follow his boxing dreams. He parted ways with the promotion and signed with the PFL, who were more than happy to give him the freedom to pursue boxing matches.
