Dana White, the president of the UFC, recently shut down Saudi bigwig Turki Alalshikh’s hopes of organizing a cross-promotion fight involving the UFC. Alalshikh expressed his desire to make a crossover fight involving UFC fighters Francis Ngannou and Jon Jones. The MMA community has shown interest in seeing Ngannou face off with Jones, especially since Ngannou left the UFC last year and signed with the Professional Fighters League (PFL). Alalshikh mentioned having two options for Ngannou, one in MMA and one in boxing, but emphasized the desire to make a big impact in the MMA world.
During an appearance on The Ariel & Ade Show on DAZN, Alalshikh hinted at potentially making a huge fight for Ngannou in MMA. He expressed the sentiment that they want to do big things and joked about sending Dana White to the moon. However, White swiftly responded to Alalshikh’s comments, stating that the promotion is sticking with plans for Jones to face interim heavyweight champion Tom Aspinall next. Despite fan requests for a Ngannou-Jones matchup, White reiterated the promotion’s intentions for Jones to fight Aspinall in the near future.
Former pound-for-pound king Jon Jones had previously expressed reluctance towards a unification fight with Aspinall before his UFC 309 clash with Stipe Miocic. However, following his victory over Miocic, Jones suggested he would be open to facing Aspinall if he is adequately compensated. Jones admitted to finding Aspinall annoying and stated that he would require significant financial compensation for the fight to happen. Despite Jones’ initial hesitation towards facing Aspinall, the potential matchup has generated attention and sparked interest among fans of the sport.
The desire for the UFC to return to cross-promotion fights has been high, with Alalshikh’s proposal for a Ngannou-Jones matchup serving as a prime example. Cross-promotion bouts have been a popular concept in MMA, as seen in Chuck Liddel’s ventures to Japan to compete in Pride during the early days of the sport. While there is excitement surrounding the possibility of high-profile matchups between fighters from different promotions, Dana White’s response indicates that the UFC is focused on their existing plans for Jones and Aspinall. Ultimately, the MMA community eagerly anticipates future developments and potential matchups in the ever-evolving world of mixed martial arts.
