Francis Ngannou has outlined the necessary steps for his long-anticipated heavyweight showdown with Jon Jones to finally become a reality.
The legendary two-division world champion Jon Jones issued a challenge to Ngannou after his coach, Eric Nicksick, hinted at a possible comeback to the UFC. Ngannou, the former UFC champion, is currently signed to PFL, where he holds fighter, executive, and ambassador roles.
However, PFL has previously shown willingness to allow Ngannou to compete elsewhere, permitting him to participate in boxing matches against Tyson Fury and Anthony Joshua without even a co-promoting agreement. Now, they could potentially be involved in a historic heavyweight clash.
Francis Ngannou Accepts Jon Jones’ Super-Fight Challenge
Francis Ngannou is not a frequent user of X (formerly Twitter), but in response to Jon Jones` callout, he broke his social media silence with a quick reply. He effectively accepted the challenge, indicating that both fighters would need to navigate their respective promotional commitments.
Jones had initially posted on X: “I’m hearing Francis Ngannou is still interested… now we’re talking. That’s a real super fight. A clash of champions, not just hype. He held the UFC belt, I`ve defended mine for over a decade.
“Two kings from different roads. Not just one legend facing a mouth that’s hot right now, but two real legacies colliding. That’s the kind of fight that actually adds something special to my story. At least from my point of view.”
“You take care of the UFC, I’ll take care of the PFL,” Ngannou replied, seemingly implying that both would need to secure approval from their promotions for the fight to happen. “And we’ll finally find out who’s the KING OF THE HEAVYWEIGHT.”
While PFL leadership, including Donn Davis and Peter Murray, have openly expressed their eagerness for the fight, securing cooperation from Dana White might be more challenging. The UFC CEO has vowed never to work with Ngannou again following a contentious split that saw Ngannou depart the UFC while still holding the heavyweight title in 2023.
Jon Jones Enraged Fans by Dismissing Tom Aspinall for Francis Ngannou Callout
The significant factor complicating such a potential fight is the current interim heavyweight champion, Tom Aspinall. The British fighter has long sought an undisputed title clash with Jones, but seems increasingly unlikely to secure it.
It now appears he could be sidelined from the title picture in favor of Ngannou, who technically never lost the undisputed belt in competition. Indeed, given the ongoing debate over who holds the legitimate claim to the championship between Jones and Aspinall, it is often argued that Ngannou`s status as the lineal champion is the most valid.
The Cameroonian fighter marketed himself as the lineal champion for his boxing matches and his single PFL bout last October. He has become a regular participant in high-profile events in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, where significant financial investments have even brought together boxing promoters who previously refused to cooperate.
However, convincing Dana White to reunite with Ngannou, especially given the rumored strained relationship between the UFC CEO and Saudi powerbroker Turki Alalshikh, appears improbable at this moment.
Jones faced significant criticism from fans for seemingly `avoiding Aspinall` in favor of calling out Ngannou. He later defended his stance on X, stating: “You clowns thinking, Francis would be that much easier because of the ground game. Tom has no ground game either. In English black belt is like getting a participation ribbon.”
Gareth Pendleton