UFC President Dana White envisions what could come from a fight between his undisputed heavyweight champion Jon Jones and World Boxing Council kingpin Tyson Fury. Both competitors are considered far and away the best big men in their respective sports. And both are huge box office draws, so the fight could mean a future fortune for all parties involved.
Dana White via MMAWeekly.com YouTube
White is all for the proposition, and he’s even discussed it in the past. He touched on it once again this weekend following UFC Vegas 74 event. He has vowed to make the contest happen if both men are willing. However, one caveat accompanied his comments.
“We all know if Jon Jones boxed Tyson Fury? Tyson Fury wins,” White said. “All these boxing guys want to talk about this and keep it in the ring. I’m telling Tyson Fury, who I respect very much: If you really want to find out who the baddest man on the planet is, I will make that fight.”
“I will make Jon Jones vs. Tyson Fury in the Octagon. And we’ll figure it out. We figured out how to pay Floyd [Mayweather], we’ll figure out how to pay you too, Tyson.”
RELATED: 10 Of The Best And Most Insane MMA Knockouts
Jones is the UFC Heavyweight Champion, while Fury is the WBC Heavyweight Champion. However, we have seen these types of cross-culture fights take place before, with some stipulations added. Most notably, Conor MacGregor stepped out of his comfort zone in The Octagon to box Floyd Mayweather in 2017.
That bout re-wrote financial records and proved the curiosity surrounding match-ups that transcends genres. An encounter between the dominating champions Jones and Fury – with both simultaneously at the top of their industry – could potentially be even larger.
RELATED: Tyson Fury Swings At Joe Rogan Over Jon Jones Prediction
The two athletes recently went back and forth on social media, which stemmed from podcaster Joe Rogan claiming Tyson Fury “wouldn’t make it out of a room if he was locked in with Jon Jones.” Rogan is also a commentator for Ultimate Fighting Championship.
Fury responded by firing back. He made it clear that no one could beat him – not even the dominant Jon Jones. He wasn’t too thrilled when Rogan said that he would push “all of my chips” in on the UFC Champ if the two ever squared off for real.
Tyson Fury goes OFF on Joe Rogan pic.twitter.com/4oDXnwr7aV
— Spinnin Backfist (@SpinninBackfist) May 18, 2023
In a video posted on social media, Fury tagged Rogan and stated:
“I heard Joe Rogan say something about me, and I’ve been off all social medias and didn’t reply to that little p****, little f***ing midget, bald-headed midget,” Fury scolded. “I heard him say that Jon Jones could f*** me up if we were in the room together. I don’t think so. Not a man born from a mother could f*** me up, in a room, on our own. Whatever happens in that room, I’d be walking out. Not a f***ing problem.”
Where there’s smoke there’s fire. So expect the heat between these two titans to ignite what could be the highest-grossing crossover fight in history. At, least if Dana White gets his wish. Stay tuned.
NEXT: UFC Legend Jon Jones Shoots Down Francis Ngannou’s Invitation To Join The PFL