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Jon Jones is 'done,' what's his legacy? Plus, Mairon Santos joins the show | The Boys in the Back | May 22, 2025
The Boys in the Back react to Jon Jones saying he's 'done' and discuss what that means for his legacy. Plus, an interview with UFC Vegas 106 winner Mairon Santos, P4P summer activities, and your voicemails and Super Chats. LEAVE US A VOICEMAIL: +1-415-787-2482
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Francis Ngannou's Trainer Sends a Clear Message to Dana White About a Return to the UFC
Francis Ngannou's Trainer Sends a Clear Message to Dana White About a Return to the UFC originally appeared on Athlon Sports. Francis Ngannou has faced a difficult stretch in recent months—both professionally and personally. From grieving the loss of his son to navigating uncertainty in his combat sports career, the former UFC heavyweight champion has been forced to reevaluate his path. Yet, in the midst of these hardships, there are growing signs that a major return could be on the horizon. Recent comments from those closest to Ngannou suggest that his story in the UFC might not be over. Advertisement In a revealing interview on the Home of Fight YouTube channel, longtime coach Eric Nicksick opened up about Ngannou's mindset—and his willingness to revisit the UFC. 'I think enough time has passed. I would love to see somehow, some way that they can mend these fences and get back in competing in the UFC,' Nicksick shared. 'I think this is more about business than it is about ego. At least it is from Francis' side.' francis ngannouGetty Images Nicksick emphasized that Ngannou still values the freedom to be compensated like an independent contractor, stating, 'He wants the opportunity to be paid... for whoever needs your services for.' When discussing Dana White, he added, 'I think Dana is a smart enough businessman that it's not about his ego... the past is the past... why not explore those options?' With Jon Jones' return looking increasingly unlikely and the UFC heavyweight division in flux, a comeback for Ngannou could be a game-changing move. Advertisement It's believed that Ngannou still has one more fight left on his PFL contract, but if circumstances align, his return to the UFC could bring back the intrigue and power the heavyweight division is currently missing. Related: Sean O'Malley Issues Bold Claim Ahead of UFC 316 Showdown Related: Conor McGregor Reacts to Sean O'Malley's Camp Ahead of UFC 316 This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 6, 2025, where it first appeared.
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5 hours ago
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Dana White Says Jon Jones Has Agreed To Fight Tom Aspinall
LAS VEGAS, NEVADA - MARCH 08: UFC CEO Dana White holds a press conference after the UFC 313 event at ... More T-Mobile Arena on March 08, 2025 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Chris Unger/Zuffa LLC) According to UFC CEO Dana White, UFC heavyweight champion Jon Jones has agreed to face interim heavyweight champion Tom Aspinall. Speaking at the UFC 316 pst-fight press conference, White seemed taken aback when he was asked about Jones's recent social media posts that he was ready and willing to vacate the UFC heavyweight title. "He said he's ready to vacate the belt? (Expletive) crazy," White said. "I've been busy. I haven't been keeping up with the gossip. He's either back today or came back yesterday or whenever. He was in Thailand. He's home. We'll be home tonight. Tuesday, we'll figure this out." "Tom Aspinall's the guy. He's the guy. Listen, if [Jones] wants to retire and doesn't want to fight, nothing you can do,"added White. "I didn't want Khabib [Nurmagomedov] retire. I thought [Daniel] Cormier could have stayed it in longer. It's none of my business. I'll do what I can to make the fight if we can. If he's talking that crazy shit, I didn't realize that." MANCHESTER, ENGLAND - JULY 27: Tom Aspinall of England reacts after his knockout victory against ... More Curtis Blaydes in the interim UFC heavyweight championship bout during the UFC 304 event at Co-op Live on July 27, 2024 in Manchester, England. (Photo by Chris Unger/Zuffa LLC via Getty Images) Aspinall won the interim UFC heavyweight crown in November 2023 with a knockout victory over Sergei Pavlovich at UFC 295. Aspinall took that fight on short notice when the original main event for that card, Jon Jones vs. Stipe Miocic for Jones's heavyweight title was scrapped following an injury to Jones. Despite Aspinall winning the interim crown, UFC CEO Dana White remained steadfast in saying that Jones vs. Miocic was the fight to make. That fight did not take place until November 2024. Jones held on to his belt that night, beating Miocic by TKO in the third round. By that time, Aspinall had already defended his interim crown, scoring a first-round knockout win over Curtis Blaydes at UFC 304 in July 2024. Aspinall has been waiting for the title unification bout with Jones since Jones's win over Miocic in November. In late April, Miocic became the longest-serving UFC interim champion, topping the 535-day reign of Renan Barao, who defended his interim title twice before being named undisputed champion. NEW YORK, NEW YORK - NOVEMBER 14: Jon Jones reacts with UFC President Dana White onstage during the ... More UFC 309 press conference at The Theater at Madison Square Garden on November 14, 2024 in New York City. (Photo by Josh Hedges/Zuffa LLC) "It's definitely the process with Jon Jones," White said of the ongoing negotiations between the UFC and Jones. "I've been going through this since the day he started this. It's definitely the process. Him and Anderson Silva, every time throughout the history of being in business with those guys when it comes time to get them fights, it's like dealing with artists. It's interesting. "It's Aspinall's fight. We've been talking to this kid forever about it and it's his fight. Listen, you can't make people fight. If Jon doesn't want to fight, you can't make him fight. We can try to make him fight. We can throw things at him that inspire him to want to fight but we'll figure it out." "But yes, Jon agreed to fight Tom, fact," White added in closing. NEW YORK, NEW YORK - NOVEMBER 16: Interim UFC heavyweight champion Tom Aspinall looks on during the ... More UFC heavyweight championship fight during the UFC 309 event at Madison Square Garden on November 16, 2024 in New York City. (Photo by Chris Unger/Zuffa LLC) Last week, Aspinall seemed frustrated by how long it is taking to get a title unification bout booked, going so far as to declare that Jones has retired. "Jon Jones is retired," Aspinall said. "I want to say God bless him moving forward in what he does with his life and career. We move on. I'm the undisputed heavyweight champion of the world. I'm ready to take on all comers and get this division moving again. "Those guys have been waiting around too long. The contenders are getting sick of it. Everybody's getting sick of it. Even the fans are getting sick of this stuff. So, Jon's retired and it's time that we move on. "I'm the undisputed heavyweight champion of the world. I'm ready to take on all comers, get this division moving again. Us guys have been waiting around too long. The guys, contenders are getting sick of it, everybody's getting sick of it, even the fans are getting sick of it. Jon's retired and it's time that we move on.'
