Jon Jones has been particularly vocal on social media recently, with one of his tweets specifically expressing interest in facing Francis Ngannou, a highly anticipated matchup that has been discussed for years. Ngannou is the former UFC heavyweight champion and currently holds a PFL SuperFight title.
Eric Nicksick, Ngannou`s head coach, recently indicated that he believes Ngannou would “100 percent” be open to returning to the UFC in the future. Ngannou chose to leave the UFC and relinquish his title, citing feelings of being unfairly treated and undervalued during his reign as champion. He subsequently signed with PFL, taking on roles as both a fighter and an ambassador for PFL Africa. Since Ngannou`s departure, Jones captured the UFC heavyweight title, while Ngannou has found success and lucrative opportunities in boxing matches and PFL bouts.
On Friday, Jones posted on Twitter, suggesting that a fight against Ngannou would motivate him more than a potential bout with interim champion Tom Aspinall. Less than 24 hours later, Ngannou issued his response.
“You take care of the UFC, I’ll take care of the PFL, and we’ll finally find out who’s the KING OF THE HEAVYWEIGHT,” Ngannou tweeted in reply.
Both Jones and Ngannou had actively sought this fight multiple times after Jones transitioned to the heavyweight division from light heavyweight. However, the proposed clash never materialized. UFC CEO Dana White publicly stated that the reason was Jones demanding “Deontay Wilder money” for the fight to proceed.
Following Ngannou`s exit, White has repeatedly stated his lack of interest in working with Ngannou again. Conversely, PFL founder Donn Davis has expressed a strong desire to see the Jones vs. Ngannou fight happen and is open to a potential co-promotion with the UFC to make it a reality.
In terms of recent activity, Jones was involved in his first title defense against Stipe Miocic at UFC 309 last November (Note: *This part reflects the source text`s claim about the fight taking place as scheduled*). Ngannou competed the month before in his PFL debut, achieving a decisive first-round TKO victory over Renan Ferreira.
Percy Harlow