Tyson Fury Says Jon Jones Fight Has to Be Boxing, Not MMA: 'I Stand Up and Punch' | News, Scores, Highlights, Stats, and Rumors
Daniel Foster If Tyson Fury were to agree to a fight with Jon Jones, it would be in the discipline he's comfortable with.
UFC president Dana White told BroBible (h/t MMA Fighting's Alexander K. Lee) he would be willing to make a match between Jones and the WBC heavyweight champion.
"If Tyson Fury really wants to fight Jon Jones in the UFC, I will make it happen," White said. "Here's my thing right now to Tyson Fury: Tyson, if you're serious, let me know. Tyson and I have a good relationship. I like Tyson Fury."
In a response on his Instagram Stories (h/t Lee), Fury wrote any fight would have to "be under boxing rules" because he doesn't "roll round on the floor! I stand up and punch" with an emoji of a boxing glove.
Fury and Jones have been engaged in a war of words recently that started with comments from UFC analyst Joe Rogan.
On a recent episode of his podcast, Rogan said "no one thinks Tyson Fury could beat Jon Jones in a fight."
Once Fury caught win of Rogan's comments, he sounded off in an expletive-filled rant:
"I heard him say that Jon Jones could f--k me up if we were in the room together. I don't think so. Not a man born from a mother could f--k me up, in a room, on our own. Whatever happens in that room, I'd be walking out. Not a f--king problem."
Jones responded by challenging Fury to a fight, but he wanted it under MMA rules:
BONY @JonnyBonesHey Tyson, it seem like Joe may have struck a nerve. I'll admit there's no one touching you in that ring right now, but let's not let that confuse you with what would happen if you stepped foot in my cage. If you ever want to put some of those questions you got going on to rest,…
Fury has done some mixed martial arts training with Nick Diaz back when it seemed like there was some hope for a mixed-rules bout with former UFC heavyweight champion Francis Ngannou.
Now that Ngannou has left UFC and signed with Professional Fighters League in a deal that allows him to compete in a boxing match, there's at least the potential a long-awaited bout with Fury becomes a reality.
It would make no sense at all for Fury to do a straight MMA fight against Jones. It requires a completely different skill set that he, presumably, doesn't have. Jones ended a three-year hiatus and moved up to heavyweight for the first time in his career when he defeated Ciryl Gane via first-round submission to win the UFC title on March 4.
Fury is unbeaten with a 33-0-1 record in 34 career boxing matches. The Gypsy King most recently defeated Derek Chisora by TKO to retain the WBC heavyweight championship on Dec. 3.