Jon Jones returned to the octagon in strong fashion with his victory over Cyril Gane last night at UFC 285.
It is worth noting that this was Jones’ first fight in the UFC since 2020. He was last seen in action against Dominic Reyes where he defended his light-heavyweight championship at UFC 247. Just months after his bout with Reyes, Bones vacated his UFC light-heavyweight title in August 2020 after a dispute with Dana White.
When Jon Jones was plotting to move to the heavyweight division, he and the UFC president didn’t see eye-to-eye over fighter pay. Jones felt that he needed to be paid more to move up to the heavyweight division, which resulted in a delay in his return.
However, the two eventually found common ground, and Jon Jones was confirmed to return to the UFC. While it was initially suggested that ‘Bones’ would face former heavyweight champion Francis Ngannou, the latter himself left the company, and Jones was booked to take on Cyril 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 attached to him when he left the company.
After his matchup against Cyril Gane, Francis Ngannou was in talks for a contract extension in the UFC, but he wanted more, even though he was being offered the most lucrative offer he has ever received.
Talking about the same, Jones suggested that Francis Ngannou should be blamed for missing out on the opportunity to face him inside the Octagon. During an interview with RMC Sport he said:
“Here I am. Francis had the opportunity to face me and he took the opportunity. If anyone deserves to be criticized, it’s Francis Ngannou. If I’m right, he got the biggest contract in heavyweight history.” He had the opportunity to be the man to depose me. He didn’t believe in himself. Francis didn’t believe in himself. He wasn’t willing to gamble on himself.