Twitter Mailbag: On the future for Jon Jones, Jorge Masvidal, and a key fight between Francis Ngannou and 15 bantamweights

There was plenty to address in this week’s Twitter Mailbag with John Morgan. Check it out.

Questions on your mind about recent happenings in MMA or the sport in general? MMA Junkie’s Twitter Mailbag is here – and this week it’s @John Morgan to answer your inquiries.

We talked about doing a video this week, but that would probably mean I’d have to shave. I’m starting to get used to this not going to work stuff, so that’s not going to happen. Instead, check for answers below:

What’s up with Jon Jones’ light heavyweight title?

UFC champ and MMA GOAT candidate [autotag]Jon Jones[/autotag] has made it clear he’s more than happy to hand over his title if his financial demands can’t be met. And the UFC has obviously stripped the title from him before, so it’s not as if precedent hasn’t been set. That said, I tend to believe these two sides can come to an agreement at some point over the next few months.

UFC president Dana White has made it clear how difficult the task of putting on fights during a pandemic has been for the promotion. I’ve seen much of it first-hand, from the three shows in Florida to the current run in Las Vegas, as well as hearing about the amount of work currently going on behind the scenes to make “Fight Island” a reality.

While White and his team continue to work on logistics and plans, I simply don’t think he believes he has time to get involved in extensive negotiations for any one particular fight for the time being. Add in the financial uncertainty that every company on the planet is facing right now, and I think you understand why he’s concerned at making any kind of guaranteed commitments on the front end of contracts – though I think he’d be just fine discussing the terms of what is shared on the back end, once revenues are secured.

My hope is that as the UFC gets the train fully rolling after “Fight Island,” White and his team can come back and address some of these lingering concerns. If not, you can be assured the UFC will move forward with [autotag]Jan Blachowicz[/autotag] vs. [autotag]Dominick Reyes[/autotag] for a vacant title, though I don’t believe that’s their primary option.

Could Francis Ngannou beat the world’s top 15 bantamweights simultaneously?

Ah yes, the epic superfight we’ve all been clamoring for: [autotag]Francis Ngannou[/autotag] vs. the world’s best 135-pounders in a Battle Royale.

Listen, I think the bantamweights can get this done, but there’s going to need to be some serious strategy involved here. Assuming we’re using the MMA Junkie bantamweight rankings, we’re actually going to have some history made here with the UFC, Bellator, ONE Championship and Rizin FF all working together to make this happen. Exciting times, indeed. But will the lack of time together make it tough for the fighters to plan?

This has to be a simultaneously executed, multi-pronged attacked. [autotag]Kyoji Horiguchi[/autotag] is still on the mend from knee surgery, so he’s going to have to be more of a distraction than anything else. [autotag]Dominick Cruz[/autotag], I’m not risking his future fights, either – so with his track record of injuries, I’ve got to keep him on the outside, as well.

Damn, just realized [autotag]T.J. Dillashaw[/autotag] can’t participate either, unless we’re booking this thing for next year.

All right, now we’re down to 12 guys, but I think we’ve still got a plan.

[autotag]Darrion Caldwell[/autotag] and [autotag]Cody Stamann[/autotag], they have to shoot the legs. At the same time, [autotag]Pedro Munhoz[/autotag] and [autotag]Raphael Assuncao[/autotag] hit flying armlocks. [autotag]Aljamain Sterling[/autotag]? Come on. Straight to the back for “The Human JanSport.”

With every limb entangled, [autotag]Marlon Moraes[/autotag] can start throwing kicks to the body. [autotag]Petr Yan[/autotag] and [autotag]Cody Garbrandt[/autotag] rifle off punches to the jawline. We’ve still got [autotag]Cory Sandhagen[/autotag], [autotag]Jimmie Rivera[/autotag] and [autotag]Bibiano Fernandes[/autotag] on backup, as well.

[autotag]Song Yadong[/autotag] only gets involved if this thing somehow goes the distance. He never loses a decision.

I see the path to victory, clear as day. Give me the bantamweights, and if things happen to go wrong, may God have mercy on their soul.

When does Chael Sonnen defend his UFC light heavyweight title?

I’m afraid pandemic MMA just isn’t for [autotag]Chael Sonnen[/autotag]. You can’t take the undefeated, undisputed “American Gangster” and have him fight without a live audience. The financial demands of the highest-paid athlete in the history of the sport simply can’t be met without the benefit of a live gate.

For now, your best bet is simply to walk the mean streets of West Linn, Oregon – if you dare – and hope to see old Chael P. run across the type of scum he witnessed as a child, casually dropping gum wrappers in the street and jaywalking as if laws were never invented. Word is those confrontations go a little different these days.

How many posters do UFC fighters sign?

Well, right now, the answer is none. With everything about MMA reimagined in the face of the COVID-19 pandemic, the idea of having every fighter on the card sign a poster is no longer an acceptable practice. So for the time being, those are relics of the past.

But pre-pandemic, the answer was 125. A handful went to the UFC office, every fighter on the card received one, as well. The rest are sold to the public. Most sell-out at the live event, but you can still get a few from random events at the UFC’s online store.

Should Jorge Masvidal have kept his negotiations with the UFC private

This is an interesting question that I think really boils down to what [autotag]Jorge Masvidal[/autotag] ultimately hopes to achieve. If his goal is simply to get the best deal for himself, then honestly, I probably would have recommended a private discussion for a few reasons.

First, it’s about the relationship with the people on the opposite side of the table. UFC president Dana White has no problem fighting back if you want to try and push him. So trying to leverage some type of public pressure on him as a tactic is likely never going to be terribly effective. And of course, if the idea is to get a ground swell of public support behind him to sway UFC brass, Masvidal couldn’t have picked a worse time in terms of what is really moving the public right now. It’s definitely not about anyone amassing more financial wealth, even if they are likely worth the sum.

However, if what Masvidal wants is real change in the sport moving forward, then yes, going public was the right move. We’re certainly seeing much more discussion among fighters about how best to approach negotiations and deal demands. That is all very positive. Passing on knowledge gained in these moments will only help to serve younger athletes coming into the game so they have a better idea of what deals are available.

I remember the first time I found out a fellow journalist had it written into their contract that all of their air travel had to be booked business class. I immediately thought, “Wait, I can make sure it’s in my employment contract that I don’t have to be stuck in the middle seat when I’m flying to Brazil? Who knew?”

(Side note: I have not been able to successfully negotiate such a clause for myself. Sigh.)

I don’t know if fighters will ever organize. I’ve seen too many failed attempts along the way to think one effort is going to come along and immediately get everyone on board. But in the meantime, keeping dialogues of communication open is a positive for everyone involved and can only serve to educate fighters (and even managers) to better understand how far they can push in negotiations.

Can I buy John Morgan a beer via Venmo?

Deal. You are both a gentleman and a scholar, and I am now on Venmo. Check your DMs.