- The Return of Jon Jones for the Heavyweight Title
Though UFC President Dana White has downplayed what comes next for Jones, there is no doubt that his return to potentially become a two-division world champion is the biggest fight to be made in 2021. For the wrong reasons, the notoriety following his incident in September following the Hall of Fame ceremony once again brings heightened attention to his return.
In several ways, his return is different than any of his prior setbacks. Most obviously: how will he perform after adding massive amounts of weight to his frame? Secondly, will his strategy or tactics suffer considering he has recently been banned from his longtime home of Jackson-Wink MMA in Albuquerque? Finally, will the simple nature of Father Time see him at a level less than what we have grown accustomed to over the past decade?
That’s not to mention the men who would be the A-side of the equation. Ngannou would be riding arguably the greatest run of any heavyweight champion in recent years going into the fight. Gane would be seen as the next evolution of big men in the sport taking on the man who over a decade ago was seen as the same thing before becoming an all-time great. Either bout would guarantee big business for the UFC, though Ngannou would undoubtedly be the bigger fight.
Put all the ingredients together, and it is difficult to imagine any other fight being bigger by the end of 2022.
