Dana White: Derrick Lewis is next for Francis Ngannou after Jon Jones asked for $30 million

It appears Jon Jones’ shot at heavyweight gold will have to wait.

Former UFC light heavyweight king Jones has been gearing up for his heavyweight debut against newly crowned champion Francis Ngannou (16-3 MMA, 11-2 UFC), but after his negotiations with UFC president Dana White went south, it seems the promotion has moved on.

White has mentioned on multiple occasions that Jones (26-1 MMA, 20-1 UFC) asked for $30 million to face Ngannou, a price the UFC isn’t willing to guarantee. So with Jones apparently pricing himself out, White now says Derrick Lewis (25-7 MMA, 16-5 UFC) will get the title shot, instead.

“We tried to work with Jon, and we eventually have to move on because realistically, and in all honesty, Derrick Lewis is the guy who deserves the fight,” White said on “The Bill Simmons Podcast.” “Derrick Lewis is a heavyweight, he beat Francis Ngannou, he’s looked good in his last couple of fights, he’s ranked in the top three, I think, and he deserves the fight. That’s the fight that should happen. We’ll just roll and do what we do. When Jon’s ready, he’ll let us know.”

He continued, “In his deal, he’s talking he wants $30 million guaranteed. The way that this works is, these guys all share in the pay-per-view. … He will share in the profits of the fight. That’s how it works. That’s how you run a business, and you don’t go broke.”

At a press conference following March’s UFC 260, White questioned Jones’ desire to fight Ngannou. He joked that after Ngannou starched Stipe Miocic to win the UFC heavyweight title, Jones should consider moving down to 185 pounds. White’s comments resulted in Jones asking for a release from the promotion, and it seems that things haven’t necessarily gotten much better between the two in the time since.

The UFC is yet to officially announce Ngannou’s next fight, but if it is indeed Lewis, the pair share history. Lewis holds a decision win over Ngannou at UFC 226 in 2018, a fight generally lamented as a lackluster affair. “The Black Beast” is currently riding a four-fight winning streak, including back-to-back knockouts over Aleksei Oleinik and Curtis Blaydes, repositioning himself into title contention. The loss to Lewis also reignited Ngannou, who has since gone on an absolute tear en route to claiming the title.