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Jon Jones returned to the octagon in emphatic fashion with his win over Ciryl Gane last night at UFC 285.
It is worth noting that it was Jones' first fight in the UFC since 2020. He was last seen in action against Dominick Reyes, where he defended his light-heavyweight championship at UFC 247. Just a few months after his bout with Reyes, 'Bones' vacated his UFC light-heavyweight title in August 2020 after a dispute with Dana White.
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While Jon Jones was plotting a move to the heavyweight division, he and the UFC president did not see eye-to-eye over fighter pay. Jones felt that he needed to be paid more for a move up to the heavyweight division, which resulted in him delaying his return.
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However, the two eventually found common ground, and Jon Jones was confirmed to be returning to the UFC. While it was initially suggested that 'Bones' would take on former heavyweight champion Francis Ngannou, the latter ended up leaving the company himself, and Jones was booked to take Ciryl Gane for the vacant UFC heavyweight championship.
Jon Jones believes Francis Ngannou is at fault for a failed fight between them
A potential fight between Jon Jones and Francis Ngannou was undoubtedly the biggest matchup to make in the UFC. However, as mentioned earlier, 'The Predator' shattered all hopes surrounding the same when he left the company.
Following his matchup against Ciryl Gane, Francis Ngannou was in negotiations for a contract extension in the UFC, but he seemingly wanted more even though he was being offered the most lucrative offer a heavyweight has ever received.
Speaking about the same, Jones suggested that Francis Ngannou should be blamed for opting out of the opportunity to face him inside the octagon. During an interview with RMC Sport, he said:
“I’m here. Francis had the opportunity to face me and he opted out of the opportunity. If anyone should be criticized, it’s Francis Ngannou. If I’m correct, he was offered the biggest contract in heavyweight history. He had the opportunity to be a guy to dethrone me. He didn’t believe in himself. Francis didn’t believe in himself. He wasn’t willing to gamble on himself.”
Watch the interview below:
