Tyron Woodley says Jon Jones now has a clear legal roadmap if he wants to pursue a blockbuster fight with Francis Ngannou outside his current UFC deal.
Jones has six fights remaining on the UFC contract he signed in 2023, but Woodley revealed he has connected the heavyweight champion with the same legal mind he credits for helping Conor McGregor box Floyd Mayweather.
“Conor McGregor boxed Floyd Mayweather,” Woodley said. “My lawyer is the lawyer that actually gave Audie [Attar] and Conor the play and the manoeuvre to do it through the Ali Act. His name is Sam Spira. He doesn’t get a lot of credit for it. If Jon wanted to fight Francis Ngannou, there is a legal way where he can do it. It’s not going to be a cakewalk, but have the legal team deal with it.”
“Jon texted me afterwards, because Jon knows me,” Woodley recounted. “He knows if I say something, I’m not going to be sugarcoating it. As I was saying it on air, my lawyer was watching it, so he sent me a text message of exactly the injunction he would have to do, how he would have to file it, and the process. It’s going to be a battle, but this is the way you can do it. Jon asked me himself, he said, ‘Tyron, send me that lawyer’s number that knows that play.’ I said fine, and I forwarded him my lawyer’s info.”
“I would say he has the information he needs, if he legally wants to pursue that,” Woodley added, noting Jones has other business interests, including mentoring and training Gable Steveson. “So if he wants to fight, he’s got the information to do it. The ball’s in his court.”
