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Catch up with the biggest UFC updates and other stories with Sportskeeda's daily MMA News Roundup.
Today's news will discuss Jon Jones' return, Francis Ngannou's payday, and more.
#3. Jon Jones gives UFC return update after second surgery
Jon Jones took to Instagram on Monday to reveal that he underwent a second surgery for a health issue that had been troubling him for a while.
The UFC heavyweight champion previously went under the knife for a pectoral tear he suffered in training ahead of a scheduled fight with Stipe Miocic. The injury delayed the bout, which paved the way for Tom Aspinall to become the interim heavyweight titleholder in the meantime and persistently call out 'Bones' ever since.
Fans were concerned about his return and some even urged him to vacate the heavyweight title so that the division isn't held up. However, Jones claimed that the recovery time for the second operation, which was done on his left elbow, would overlap with his healing process for the pec tear:
"... We are working on my left elbow. I’m actually about one hour off the table. We had a two-hour surgery shaving down some bone spurs. The good news is it’s about a 10-week healing process, and I’m out for months anyway because of this pec surgery, so I thought I’d just kill two birds and get this elbow taken care of once and for all."
Watch Jones' comments below [via @themaclifeofficial]
#2. Nate Diaz vs. Jorge Masvidal rematch rumored
Four years after their famed BMF clash, Nate Diaz and Jorge Masvidal are reportedly set for a rematch. This time, they are going to lock horns in the boxing ring, per @HappyPunch on X.
The account also reported that the UFC has "given the green light" for the fight, which is required given that Masvidal remains under contract following his retirement last year..
Ariel Helwani also reported the same, citing his own sources. However, Diaz's representative Zach Rosenfield said that he could not confirm the news.
Surprisingly, the matchup was actually broken days ago by Jake Paul, who seemed to know the boxing bout soon after Masvidal announced he was coming out of retirement.
Nothing has been confirmed by either Diaz or Masvidal regarding the matter as of this writing.
#1. Massive payday predicted for Francis Ngannou in Anthony Joshua fight
Francis Ngannou is predicted to make nearly $20 million from his fight against Anthony Joshua, which is set to go down on March 8.
The news of the fight was confirmed by both parties on social media, after which the MMA community went berserk with opinions on the matter. After Ngannou's manager hinted at an eight-figure payday, Forbes speculated about a $20 million figure in a recent article, which would double the money he made fighting Tyson Fury and be nearly 33 times more than the base purse of his last UFC outing.
Fans were not surprised to find out the figure and cheered Ngannou on to "secure that bag" on social media.
