MMA
Dana White says Brock Lesnar vs. Jon Jones will happen if both fighters want it
Ever since Jon Jones vacated his light heavyweight title to make a run in the heavyweight division, the question has been who would be the first to welcome him to the land of the giants.
The answer might be former UFC heavyweight champion and WWE superstar Brock Lesnar.
Lesnar recently hit the market as a free agent after his contract with the WWE expired. And with no agreement between WWE and Lesnar coming to light, there is speculation that Lesnar could be heading back to the UFC. Lesnar hasn't fought in the UFC since UFC 200 back in 2016, where he had his victory against Mark Hunt overturned after testing positive for a banned substance.
The former UFC and WWE champion has teased a comeback before when he entered the Octagon following Daniel Cormier's heavyweight title win against Stipe Miocic. That fight never came to fruition and Lesnar was right back working at the WWE.
But with Lesnar back on the market and Jones in search of an opponent, UFC president Dana White thinks that a collision course between the two fighters could be beneficial for all parties.
“If they both want to fight each other, I’m sure it’s a fight that the fans would want to see,” White said on Tuesday after DWCS. “It would be a good introduction for Jones into the heavyweight division. Yeah, if they wanted to do it, I would do it."
White admits to not having spoken to Lesnar in "probably a year" and has no clue whether he's interested in fighting again.
“He’s 43 years old and he’s got a lot of money," White said. "So I don’t know what his plans are, how his body feels, any of that. Like I said, I haven’t talked to him.”
Once the news broke that Lesnar was back on the market, Jones immediately took a shot at the former champion. White understands the magnitude of a potential showdown between the two and wouldn't deny either the opportunity.
“If (Brock) calls me and he’s interested in fighting, I would obviously consider making that fight,” White said.
Jones' initial foray into the heavyweight division appeared to be lined up against Francis Ngannou. However, the UFC and Jones couldn't come to an agreement on money and Jones threatened to bench himself for as long as necessary until terms could be agreed to. Speculation that Jones could find himself in a title fight with Miocic, who recently defended his title against Cormier, was squashed by White, who said that Ngannou has earned his spot to face Miocic next.
That doesn't leave a lot of options for Jones, until Lesnar was brought up. And with Lesnar's marketing power, there may be enough money to coerce Jones into a blockbuster showdown.
