Jake Paul has urged Jon Jones to walk away from his deal with with the UFC to pursue a superfight that MMA fans have been demanding for some years.
Jones signed an eight-fight contract with the UFC in March 2023, and he still has six fights remaining on the deal after defeating Ciryl Gane and most recently Stipe Miocic.
There has been a standoff between Jones and the UFC for some time, with the 39-year-old publicly requesting a release from the company after failed negotiations for a return card.
Dana White is yet to grant Jones' release and revealed that the American had retired from MMA in June 2025, but he has kept himself in the UFRC (UFC) drug-testing program, leading to speculation that he may make a return.
After marquee Zuffa Boxing signing Shakur Stevenson walked away from his multi-million dollar agreement with the promotional company, Jake Paul took to X to advocate for Jones and the UFC to separate so that the MMA star can pursure a superfight with Francis Ngannou.
He said: "Can Jon Jones request a release like Shakur Stevenson so we can go ahead and do this Francis Ngannou vs Jon Jones fight?
"They [the UFC] already said they are never working with Francis. So let Jon fly and we can give the fans what they want. Please and thank you."
Ngannou left the UFC in January 2023 due to a bitter contract dispute and personal friction with White, and the CEO has since dismissed his return.
This means that any potential fight between Jones and Ngannou relies on the former to leave the UFC, perhaps in the same way that Stevenson parted ways with Zuffa just months after signing.
Ngannou has fought in the octagon on two occasions since leaving the UFC, defeating Renan Ferreira on Professional Fighters League's card in October 2024 and emerging victorious against Philipe Lins in hist most recent bout on Most Valuable Promotion's event in May 2026.
Combat sport fans have craved Jones vs Ngannou for some years now -- with some even labelling it as the biggest potential heavyweight matchup in MMA history -- but there remains hurdles that need to be overcome for the fight to be made.
