Ngannou entered the Jones vs. Aspinall saga after his coach revealed the ex- UFC heavyweight champion is interested in returning to the promotion, having departed in 2023 after a contract dispute. That immediately alerted 'Bones', who seemed to turn his attention to Ngannou over Aspinall.

Francis Ngannou's coach claims the former UFC heavyweight champion is interested in rejoining the promotion. The news piqued the interest of fans and reigning heavyweight champ Jon Jones. Ngannou vacated the UFC heavyweight title in January 2023,

Eric Nicksick, Ngannou's coach, previously revealed that a return to UFC was a possibility. The 38-year-old left the promotion in January 2023 and signed with the Professional Fighters League four months later. Ngannou currently holds the PFL Super Fights heavyweight title.