UFC President Dana White said that she hopes to settle Francis Ngannou’s contract grievances and put the heavyweight champion of the promotion against Jon Jones.
Ngannou, 34 years old, is currently in a contract dispute with the UFC brass. His current deal has less than 11 months left.
Francis Ngannou won his heavyweight title with a decision victory over Ciryl Gane
MMA fans hope The Predator will stay around to fight Jones, a former light-heavyweight king. White is keen to see this bout come to fruition.
White answered Laura Sanko's question about Ngannou fighting Jones.
"I hope that this will be one the biggest fights of the year. We can definitely pull it off if we do.
Jones, a former pound-for-pound king, hasn't been inside the Octagon in TWO year due to contractual issues.
White hasn't spoken to Bones in great detail, except for a few text messages.
The UFC chief said that he didn't know when he last spoke to Jon.
"A while back we sent some messages back and forth.
"But I'm no one who talks to Jon on an ongoing basis. They talk to the fighters, not the matchmakers."
After undergoing knee surgery, Ngannou will be on the sidelines for a while. His manager said that he might be out for up to nine months.
Cameroon-born Frenchman, Cameroon, hopes to sign a new deal through the promotion but will not do so until he is allowed more freedom and permission for boxing.
During an appearance on The MMA Hour he stated: "The contract, everything they put into it, they hold you like they have in captivity.
"You don't have any rights, and you can't do anything." The contract is unilateral.
"You don’t even have any health insurance while doing this. You’re putting your life on the line to put on the show. You are taking on everything.
He said, "You can be free while fighting for the UFC. I want to be free.
"We are supposedly independent contractors. Technically, an independent contractor is a person who is not dependent on another.
"This is why they need to make some changes in their contract. This is what I have been fighting for."
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