Dricus Du Plessis does not believe a fight between Jon Jones and Francis Ngannou would be particularly close. The UFC middleweight champion shared a direct prediction during an appearance on Fight Forecast, dismissing the matchup as a lopsided fight in Jones’ favor.
“I think that’s Jones easy,” Du Plessis said. “I think Jones… I don’t even think that’s a fight.”
The potential matchup between the two has been a topic of discussion in combat sports conversations for years. In January 2023, Jones and Ngannou were deep in negotiations for a bout that appeared close to being finalized, but Ngannou’s departure from the UFC and subsequent title stripping ended those talks before anything could be made official.
Jones retired from fighting in June 2025, months after defeating former two-time heavyweight champion Stipe Miocic at UFC 309. He has since come out of retirement with designs on competing at UFC Freedom 250, the historic White House event on June 14.
When Jones was denied a spot on that card, he requested immediate release from his UFC contract. He currently remains in negotiations with the promotion over his future.
Ngannou’s post-UFC path has taken him through the PFL, where his deal included provisions allowing him to accept professional boxing matches. He lost to both Tyson Fury and Anthony Joshua in his two boxing appearances before parting ways with the PFL in March of this year.
Ngannou is now scheduled to face Philipe Lins in a five-round co-main event bout on May 16 in Inglewood, California, on the Ronda Rousey vs. Gina Carano card. He has publicly encouraged Jones to secure his release from the UFC, suggesting the two could potentially meet outside of the promotion if Jones were to gain his freedom.
