A fantasy matchup between heavyweight icons Tyson Fury and Jon Jones may become a reality.
What originally started as a simple comment made by Joe Rogan has quickly escalated into a rivalry that could generate the biggest fights in combat sports history. Reigning heavyweight champions Tyson Fury and Jon Jones are the rulers of their respective worlds, but if things go the UFC’s way, those worlds will collide in the near future.
In an audio clip shared by Oscar Willis of TheMACLife, Tyson Fury revealed that he is currently engaged in ongoing talks with former UFC heavyweight champion Francis Ngannou, but perhaps even more shocking was ‘The Gypsy King’ confirming that the UFC had presented him with an offer for a hybrid rules fight against reigning heavyweight champion Jon Jones.
“There’s talk of me doing a hybrid fight with Jon Jones as we talk right now,” Fury stated. “I received an offer from the UFC yesterday, so you never know what’s going to happen. The future’s bright for sure. There’s a lot of options out there.”
Tyson Fury vs. Jon Jones Wouldn’t Be the First Time a Major Promotion Has Booked a Mixed-Rules Match
Tyson Fury and Jon Jones have been jawing at one another for quite some time after Rogan suggested that ‘Bones’ would mop the floor with the boxing icon should the two ever be locked in a room together. As it turns out, we may actually get the chance to see them lock up in a cage or a ring, depending on the specifics of the proposed hybrid rules matchup.
This would be the first time the UFC has ever dipped its toe in a mixed-rules style matchup, but the concept has been executed to perfection elsewhere. In March 2022, ONE Championship booked a hybrid contest between former UFC flyweight champion Demetrious Johnson and Muay Thai legend Rodtang Jitmuangnon. The bout was critically-acclaimed and has seemingly opened the door for other promotions to adopt the concept.
Though we don’t know much more at this point, the possibility of the bout coming together still seems relatively far-fetched. But with Jones open to stepping inside the squared circle and Dana White chomping at the bit to get Tyson Fury under the UFC banner, even for a one-off appearance, it’s safe to assume that all parties will do everything they can to cash in on the hype that all started thanks to the former host of Fear Factor.