Tyron Woodley says Jon Jones texted him after the MVP MMA 1 broadcast, asking for the lawyer who could potentially help him pursue a Francis Ngannou fight outside the UFC.
Jones said during the Netflix broadcast that getting out of his UFC contract would be the primary obstacle to making a Ngannou fight happen. Woodley, who was on the broadcast alongside Jones, told NewBettingSites.uk that his attorney Sam Spira was involved in the legal framework explored before Conor McGregor’s 2017 boxing match with Floyd Mayweather — and that a similar route could be available to Jones.
“Conor McGregor boxed Floyd Mayweather. 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.”
Woodley said Jones reached out to him directly after the broadcast.
“Jon texted me afterwards, because Jon knows me. 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.”
The Ali Act is a federal boxing law covering anti-competitive practices in professional boxing. It was not written for MMA, meaning any legal strategy would require Jones’ team to find an applicable angle rather than directly invoking the act.
Woodley also noted that Jones may not feel urgency to pursue a legal battle, given his current business ventures including mentoring Gable Steveson, working with Dirty Boxing, and staying active through appearances and seminars.
“I would say he has the information he needs, if he legally wants to pursue that. But he is doing well business-wise. He’s got a lot of things keeping him busy. So if he wants to fight, he’s got the information to do it. The ball’s in his court.”