Since his memorable boxing debut where he mocked Tyson Fury, Francis Ngannou has been riding the waves of confidence. He has carved an extraordinary path beyond the UFC.
Departing from the organization left many UFC fans without the chance to witness his clash with Jon Jones in the Heavyweight division. As of right now, it seems that the UFC and the PFL are unable to work together for a unification match.
Jon Jones is currently recovering from a shoulder tendon tear, which has left the Heavyweight division in the UFC wide open. Among the potential challengers for Jones upon his return is the British interim Heavyweight champion, Tom Aspinall.
Jon Jones recently appeared during the PFL event in Riyadh. Francis Ngannou was also there, accompanied by coach Mike Tyson. Jones expressed his desire to win against opponents like Stipe Miocic, Tom Aspinall, and Francis Ngannou.
Ngannou had a camera on him and as soon as Jones said that, Ngannou responded with: “In your dreams, you are f**king fat.”
Whether Jones heard Ngannou’s remark remains uncertain. In a show of sportsmanship, Jones also voiced his support for Ngannou in his boxing match against Anthony Joshua. He acknowledged Ngannou’s remarkable journey in life and expressed solidarity as fellow mixed martial artists.
Jon Jones candidly shared his thoughts on the Ngannou-Joshua bout. Despite acknowledging Anthony Joshua’s extensive experience since his youth, Jones admitted he was rooting for Francis Ngannou due to his inspiring life story.
Jones stated, “I’m rooting for Francis to win, only because his story, how far he’s come in life, me being a fellow mixed martial artist. How could you not root for Francis? Francis is a wonderful stand-up person…but Anthony Joshua has been doing this since he was a young boy, and I’m the type of guy who gives respect where it’s due.”
Jones maintained that if he were to wager, his money would be on Anthony Joshua. He also talked about his potential future matches against formidable heavyweights like Tom Aspinall and Stipe Miocic.
Jones continued “If I personally had to put my money on it, not that I gamble, I would put it on Anthony Joshua. But, I am rooting for Francis. I feel like there’s a lot of the fight that the world wants right now. The Tom Aspinall fight still that’s really massive, Francis Ngannou and I would be really massive, and Stipe. To the hardcore fans, it’s still a respectable opponent.”
“I don’t know how the cards are going to fall, my prediction is I’d beat Stipe Miocic, my prediction is that I’d beat Tom Aspinall, and Francis Ngannou. So, the way that it unfolds is not really my business, my job is to do what I’ve always done since Day 1.”
Fans are currently eagerly anticipating the unfolding chapters in the careers of these formidable athletes.