With Francis Ngannou now officially out of the UFC roster, the heavyweight division is about to welcome a new champion in 2023. Former perennial light heavyweight title holder Jon Jones will now fight interim champion Ciryl Gane for the vacant belt at a still undetermined date.
The spotlight through this whole debacle seems to be centered on Jones, who has been preparing for his heavyweight debut since 2020. “Bones” even hired former Golden Boy Promotions CEO Richard Schaefer as his advisor in 2021, and this business decision is now paying off.
In his interview on The MMA Hour, Schaefer revealed successful negotiations with the UFC, which now puts Jones at the top in terms of the heavyweight payscale.