Jake Paul asks UFC to release Jon Jones for a Francis Ngannou fight

Jake Paul asked the UFC on Monday to release Jon Jones so MVP, the promotion Paul co-founded, can make Jones vs. Francis Ngannou. He made the request in a post on X, quoted by Heavy and BJPenn.com. Dana White hadn't responded as of Monday afternoon, BJPenn.com reported.

Paul asked whether Jones could "request a release like Shakur Stevenson," according to BJPenn.com, then added:

"They already said they are never working with Francis. So let Jon fly and we can give the fans what they want."

He didn't say whether the fight would be boxing or MMA, Heavy noted.

Why Stevenson

On Monday, Stevenson said in a YouTube video that Zuffa Boxing had let him go at his request. Zuffa is TKO's boxing promotion, run by White. "I am officially a free agent," he said, according to ESPN. He signed in July and never fought for Zuffa. ESPN reports he cited a camp of about eight weeks with no fight booked and stalled talks for a Devin Haney fight.

Paul's point: TKO's boxing arm let a star go when he asked, and the UFC has said it won't work with Ngannou anyway.

Where Jones stands

Jones is 28-1 with one no contest, according to UFC.com, and is now 39. He last fought at UFC 309 in November 2024, stopping Stipe Miocic in the third round. He retired in June 2025, and Tom Aspinall became undisputed heavyweight champion.

He came out of retirement chasing a spot on the UFC's White House card. On March 9 he asked for his release, saying the UFC lowballed him, Cageside Press reported. White said Jones was never in the plans, according to Fox News. No report we found says the request was granted, and theScore reports Jones has six fights left on an eight-fight deal signed in 2023.

Jones was on Netflix's broadcast of MVP's first MMA card in May. "I've got to focus on trying to get out of my UFC contract," he said, according to Yahoo Sports. He and White have since made up in public. At UFC 329 he posted a selfie with White captioned "homie for life," and White called him "the greatest of all time," per Yardbarker.

His most recent word came on October 10. "More than likely, I won't fight again," he wrote on X, adding that he is still being drug tested, as Last Word On Sports reported.

The Ngannou side

Ngannou, 40, is 19-3 and a former UFC heavyweight champion. He knocked out Philipe Lins with a left at 4:31 of the first round at MVP MMA 1 on May 16. He has nothing booked. White said on the Nightcap podcast that Ngannou is "a bad guy" he won't do business with, in comments EssentiallySports reported on September 11.

The two share two past opponents, Ciryl Gane and Stipe Miocic. Jones closed at −182 against Gane in March 2023 and submitted him in the first round, per our Jones page. Ngannou was a +120 underdog against Gane in January 2022 and won a decision, per our Ngannou page.

What comes next

Nothing is booked, and no talks have been announced. After MVP MMA 1, MVP co-founder Nakisa Bidarian said, "I don't think Dana's going to allow that to happen in any way, shape, or form," per theScore. His reason: the UFC knows it "will be the biggest fight that can happen in the heavyweight division in a very long time."

We think Paul's post changes little. There's no sign the UFC acted on Jones's request in March. White won't deal with Ngannou, and Jones says he's probably done.

Ngannou guessed in May that Jones's contract has a sunset clause, though he said, "I don't know if there's a sunset on that contract anymore." By his count it would run out around 2028, according to Cageside Press.