Francis Ngannou’s Coach Urges Dana White to Set Ego Aside for a Mega Fight

After his performance against Tyson Fury, Francis Ngannou has become one of the most in-demand heavyweights. ‘The Predator’ is being matched up against heavyweight boxers as well as MMA fighters. However, for most MMA fans, the dream fight still remains the one between Francis Ngannou and Jon Jones. 

Ngannou took one of the biggest gambles in his career earlier this year by leaving the UFC. At the time, he was the reigning UFC heavyweight champion. Ngannou was a free agent for a few months where concern among fans began to grow. However, after a few tense months, Ngannou reached an agreement with the PFL to join the promotion. 

After the recent fight, head coach of Francis Ngannou, Eric Nicksick shared his thoughts on what he wants next for his fighter in an interview with Ariel Helwani on MMA Fighting. He said,

“In a perfect world, for me, I still want that Jon Jones fight. Hell yeah, I do. Just because I want to compete against the best and I think Jon is the best. I don’t want any more guesses about who is the baddest man on the planet. Let’s run it. Let’s do it.”  (15:59 to 16:20)

Nicksick mentioned that he wanted Ngannou to face the best fighter in MMA to determine who the baddest man on the planet is. He expressed his desire to see ‘The Predator’ go head to head against Jon Jones. He continued,

“You can make that happen. Both sides can make that happen if they really wanted to. Set your egos aside, let’s get Allegiant Stadium [in Las Vegas], let’s give what the fans want.” (16:20 to 16:29)

He stated that booking the mega match was possible if both the sides could keep their egos aside. Given that Francis is with the PFL, is a fight against Jon Jones a pipedream or a reality? Let’s take a closer look. 

Francis Ngannou vs Jon Jones to beat UFC records in PPV sales?

Dana White has stated multiple times that he would never engage in a cross-promotion event. However, White is famously known to change his stance on multiple issues if it makes sense for his business. If Ngannou wins a fight against the likes of Joshua or Wilder, he will become too big for the UFC to ignore. 

Jon Jones is out for nine months due to an injury. If Ngannou fights in that time and gets a win, it will be very hard for the UFC to turn a blind eye towards it. Jones on the other hand is expected to return in the second half of next year against Stipe Miocic. 

I thought he did great, I’m glad the fight was competitive. Opens so many doors for everyone in the future. https://t.co/ESM0pslthP

— BONY (@JonnyBones) October 30, 2023

In an ideal world, if both Jones and Ngannou win their next fights they should fight each other in MMA. However, for that to happen, as Nicksick said, egos will have to be put aside. Only time will tell if Dana White is able to put his ego aside to make possibly the biggest fight since McGregor vs Nurmagomedov at UFC 229.