Chris Unger/Zuffa LLC
UFC President Dana White said Friday that Derrick Lewis deserves a shot at UFC heavyweight champion Francis Ngannou earlier than Jon Jones.
Performing on The Invoice Simmons Podcast (h/t Shaheen Al-Shatti of The Athletic), White said: “We tried to work with Jon, and, you know, we at remaining secure to transfer on. Because realistically, in all honesty, Derrick Lewis is the one who deserves the [Ngannou] fight. … In disclose that is the fight that must happen and we will actual roll and keep what we attain.”
Ngannou gained the UFC heavyweight title for the first time remaining month when he beat Stipe Miocic by 2d-spherical knockout.
The 33-twelve months-ancient Jones, long thought to be the single pound-for-pound fighter within the UFC, vacated the sunshine heavyweight title remaining twelve months with an peer toward shifting up to the heavyweight ranks.
Jones has no longer fought since UFC 247 in February 2020, on the opposite hand, and is within the center of a contract dispute with the promotion.
In the route of an interview with FightHype.com (h/t ESPN’s Brett Okamoto) earlier this month, Jones expressed his belief that a title fight with Ngannou will happen: “I judge it be going to happen. I judge the UFC will at remaining attain the gorgeous thing. This is one of many superb fights of our generation, and it’d be really unhappy if it weren’t to happen. It’d be a proper tragedy. All in merely time. We’re affected person.”
While Jones vs. Ngannou will also merely happen at remaining, White’s focal point is on Lewis vs. Ngannou.
In the interview with Simmons, White said Jones needs $30 million assured to fight Ngannou, which has been a sticking point in negotiations.
Given Jones’ space as one of many superb stars and attracts in UFC ancient past, it’s gorgeous to claim Jones vs. Ngannou would be a a lot bigger deal than Lewis vs. Ngannou to prospective pay-per-peep investors.
Jones is 26-1 with one no-contest in his occupation, and the loss only came due to the he turned into as soon as disqualified for illegal strikes against Matt Hamill in 2009.
Ngannou is 16-3 with 12 wins by knockout, and he is riding a five-fight successful high-tail with victories over expansive names Curtis Blaydes, Cain Velasquez, Junior dos Santos, Jairzinho Rozenstruik and Miocic.
It is refined to declare Lewis deserves a title shot, although, namely since Jones has but to ascertain himself at the heavyweight level.
Lewis is a heavyweight aged on a four-fight successful high-tail, along side a knockout possess over Blaydes in February,
He’s 25-7 with 20 knockouts and owns a victory over Ngannou, beating him by unanimous resolution at UFC 226 in 2018.
Since Lewis is on a roll and has proved he can beat Ngannou, it’s straightforward to stare why White has his sights region on that rematch.
