Dana White is excited about a heavyweight title showdown between newly crowned champion Jon Jones and former titleholder Stipe Miocic that’s expected to take place later this year, but he’s also voiced his belief that it could be the last time we see ‘Bones’ fight in the Octagon.
“Here’s the thing that makes this so awesome, you have the greatest mixed martial artist of all-time facing the greatest heavyweight of all-time,” White enthused during an interview with TMZ Sports a few days ago. “It literally doesn’t get any better than that. These are the kinds of fights you dream about making.”
However, White then went on to theorize that maybe it will prove to be the final fight of Jones decorated career.
“I wouldn’t be shocked if he fights Stipe and then retires, and doesn’t fight again,” White said.
It’s certainly a possibility, with Jones having previously stated before his comeback win over Ciryl Gane at UFC 285 that he was only saying for sure that he’d be back for a couple of blockbuster fights.
“My immediate goal is to beat Ciryl Gane, and to beat Stipe Miocic,” Jones said at the time. “After that, it’ll be conversations with the UFC to see what makes sense. I’m guaranteeing the fans at least two more fights out of me.”
Even if Jones did decide to stick around for one more fight, don’t expect White to pull out all the stops to try to find a way to make a showdown with former champion Francis Ngannou a reality.
“I’m not interested, I tried to make that fight for two years,” White said. “He didn’t want the fight, and he left here without having another deal in place. I know how the boxing world is, but Francis didn’t want to do it. I tried to make that fight for two years.
“And let me tell you what, and a lot of other people feel this way, I think that’s exactly how the fight would’ve gone if [Ngannou] was in there [instead of Gane]. Him and Ciryl had a five-round war, and if Ciryl doesn’t go for that submission, Ciryl probably wins that fight — at the end of the fifth round.”
