Jon Jones was present at Saturday’s Netflix event, making his ongoing frustrations with the UFC clear.
The former two-weight champion was a special guest at Inglewood’s Intuit Dome and took the opportunity to speak out during the MVP MMA broadcast.
The main event saw Francis Ngannou return to action in a match many had been waiting for.
Jones didn’t hide his interest in leaving the UFC to face Ngannou, sharing his concerns directly with the man looking to promote what would be a massive fight.
Jon Jones voices frustration with Jake Paul over UFC contract situation
Francis Ngannou added another highlight to his resume with a knockout win over Philipe Lins, and afterwards he claimed the title of ‘best heavyweight in MMA’.
Jon Jones didn’t let that go unaddressed. He’s made it clear that he wants the chance to challenge Ngannou, but says his contract is standing in the way.
This wasn’t just a comment for the cameras either. According to Jake Paul, Jones also spoke about wanting out of his UFC deal during a private chat backstage.
Paul brought up their conversation during his press conference following Ronda Rousey’s armbar victory over Gina Carano.
“I just feel bad when Jon Jones can’t get out of his contract to be a free agent, to be able to provide for his family,” Paul told reporters.
“That is the real meaning behind these things and these fighters being tied up, not being able to pick and choose what they want to do.
“The fact he isn’t on the White House card is very disappointing,” Paul continued. “I got to talk to him tonight, and yeah, he’s upset about it. He’s like, ‘Man, it just sucks.’ He can’t control his career.
“I’ve been pushing for fighters to stay free agents, to work with people like MVP, where these MMA fighters can go and box. I’ve been wanting to make Jon Jones vs Francis Ngannou, but it’s just tough over there.”
Jones had requested a fight on that card but was denied by UFC president Dana White, who cited concerns over Jones’ reliability. The two have since given conflicting accounts of how those talks unfolded behind closed doors.
While his time in the Octagon may be finished, Jon Jones clearly still has fights in mind – even if they’re no longer under the UFC banner.
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