There have been some ideal match-ups that fans have yearned for throughout the years. However, for one reason or another, the dream match-up did not take place. The heavyweight bout between Francis Ngannou and Jon Jones is one of them. There was already buzz about this match when ‘Bones’ vacated the light heavyweight belt and announced his transition to the heavyweight division. Unfortunately, Ngannou left the UFC following his last championship defense due to a contractual issue. In the meantime, Jones captivated the heavyweight title.
Thus, this fight never came to fruition. But ex-UFC champion Ngannou indicated that the fight is possible almost five months after rejecting a $8 million UFC deal. However, ‘The Predator’ indicated that the UFC will have to make certain compromises.
Francis Ngannou shares thoughts on Jon Jones fight
Francis Ngannou recently ran into Jon Jones at a PFL event. In a recent interview with Ariel Helwani on The MMA Hour, Ngannou discussed his unexpected meeting with UFC heavyweight champion Jon Jones.
Francis Ngannou still hopes to fight Jon Jones 👀 #TheMMAHour
“I know it’s a fight that can happen if the UFC decides to give that fight to the fans… They just have to compromise a little bit.”
▶️ https://t.co/JY88Ul1Oa7 pic.twitter.com/3XgvUHwJgj
— MMAFighting.com (@MMAFighting) July 17, 2023
Ngannou seemed hopeful about the heavyweight, giving fans optimism. He also expressed excitement over the matchup. However, Ngannou added that the UFC will have to work their way a bit for this fight to come to fruition. He said:
“I know it’s a fight that can happen if the UFC decides to give that fight to the fans. That fight is always there, and it can always happen. They just have to compromise a little bit… You never know. People change, bro… If I had one fight left in my MMA career, I’d hope it would be Jon.”
It is worth noting that Francis Ngannou has this viewpoint despite the fact that UFC president Dana White has stated that he will not be allowed to compete in the UFC again. Earlier, Ngannou sought multiple benefits in his new UFC deal, including the right to box outside of the UFC.
Ngannou was reportedly offered a whopping $8,000,000 deal in January, which would have made him one of the highest-paid heavyweights in history. Ngannou, on the other hand, chose to leave the promotion since his other requirements were not satisfied.
Israel Adesanya stands by Ngannou’s decision
Following his decision to leave the world’s largest MMA company, several people accused Ngannou of ‘fumbling the bag.’ However, the Cameroonian fighter chose the high path and signed a lucrative PFL contract.
He has also landed a boxing bout against British champion Tyson Fury, which is expected to pay more than $10 million. Talking about the same, UFC middleweight star Israel Adesanya expressed his support for Ngannou.
Adesanya noted that after Ngannou’s UFC exit, everyone has written him off, but he has proven them wrong. He also stated that Ngannou will undoubtedly return to the UFC after making a lot of money in boxing.
