Francis Ngannou v Ciryl Gane: UFC heavyweight champion Ngannou "done" with prospect of fighting Jon Jones

Francis Ngannou is not interested in fighting former light heavyweight champion Jon Jones if he retains his heavyweight title at UFC 270.

Jones, 34, has long teased a move up to heavyweight, but has not fought since February 2020.

Ngannou faces Ciryl Gane this Saturday in California and the defending champion was asked if a fight with Jones in the future interests him.

«No, I'm done with that fight,» Ngannou said.

«I've been waiting for that fight for so long. After Stipe [Miocic], it was supposed to be Jon Jones and that never happened. I don't know why, so I moved on.»

Ngannou heads into his first title defence in an usual position as the underdog. The Cameroon fighter was furious when the UFC crowned an interim champion — Gane — last August, just four months after he won the title in March against Miocic.

Frenchman Gane beat Derrick Lewis to become interim champion and is keen to fight the greatest of all time contender.

«This will be a pleasure if I win [at UFC 270] against Francis, yes I want to fight against Jon Jones,» Gane said. «This is the next one.

»A lot of people talk about that already because we are maybe the more well-rounded guys in this division and a lot of people talk about a technical fight.

«It will probably be a good matchup. Yes, if it's possible, we're going to do this.»

Jones has already said on social media he wants to face the winner and refused to pick a winner between Ngannou and Gane. The heavyweights bickered throughout the press conference on Thursday, arguing about previous sparring sessions they had together.

UFC president Dana White, however, played down the possibility of Jones finally moving up to heavyweight.

«I don't feel confident saying that Jon Jones is next,» White told