The former heavyweight fighter Francis Ngannou is honored for his journey spent in UFC. The Predator, who’s currently signed with the PFL, was holding the UFC heavyweight title during his departure from the UFC. However, he chose to relinquish it at the beginning of 2023.
Before Ngannou’s UFC exit, he was in rumors to fight with the current heavyweight title holder Jon Jones. However, he was never able to due to some circumstances. Recently, Francis Ngannou attended The Joe Rogan Experience, a podcast hosted by UFC commentator Joe Rogan.
In his conversation with the UFC commentator, Francis Ngannou addressed the highly-anticipated fight between him and Jones that could have taken place if he hadn’t taken the exit. Joe Rogan began the discourse when he asked Ngannou about the possibility of the fight taking place in the near future. He asked what if he gets an offer, “Let’s make this right, let’s fight Jon Jones”.
To which The Predator replied, “Possible but, it is possible that they have to go to the PFL now”. According to him, the fight could take place but UFC has to be associated with the PFL as he has already signed the contract in May 2023. Joe Rogan further wondered if the PFL will ever agree to this clash.
The Cameroon-born fighter then explained the real scenario that the PFL is already down for this clash. He stated, “Oh the PFL is down for that, yeah, it’s down for that”. Rogan after listening to this was amazed and contemplated what if such a clash took place and Ngannou became the champion again.
However, for Francis Ngannou it’s not the title that matters. He put forward his hope that if the fight ever takes place in the future even without the title, he’ll fight in it.
Why Francis Ngannou was not able to fight Jon Jones during his UFC reign?
The possible bout between Francis Ngannou and Jon Jones has been a topic of discussion for nearly two years. Yet, due to Ngannou’s knee surgery and his contract disputes with the UFC, the fight never materialized.
After the announcement of Ngannou’s departure from UFC, UFC CEO Dana White in his interview mentioned that it was Francis Ngannou who was trying to avoid fighting Jones. However, Ngannou denied this totally in one of his YouTube videos. He claimed, “That sounds very ridiculous, in my opinion, with all due respect. Because I have been calling for this fight for two years. I’ve been waiting for this fight forever”.
According to Ngannou, he was quite confident about the potential bout between him and Jon Jones. Even during the podcast with Joe Rogan, Ngannou asserted that he already knows that the fight would be hard with Jones but he’s confident about giving his best.
For now, Francis Ngannou is scheduled to have a clash with British boxer Tyson Fury on October 28, 2023. Although, after Ngannou’s recent declaration, fans are excited and hoping to see him clashing with Jon Jones.
Who do you think will win in the fight between Francis Ngannou and Jon Jones? Comment down your views.
