Francis Ngannou has clearly articulated the steps he and Jon Jones must take to finally bring their long-awaited heavyweight clash to fruition.
Legendary two-division champion Jon Jones issued a challenge to Ngannou recently, following a hint from coach Eric Nicksick about a potential return to the UFC for Ngannou. The former champion is currently under contract with PFL, where he holds both fighting and executive/ambassadorial roles.
However, PFL has previously shown flexibility in allowing Ngannou to compete elsewhere, permitting him to box against Tyson Fury and Anthony Joshua without requiring co-promotion. This openness could potentially facilitate a historic heavyweight showdown.
Francis Ngannou Accepts Jon Jones’ Super-Fight Challenge
Francis Ngannou is not a heavy user of X (formerly Twitter), but he ended his social media silence after Jon Jones` callout to issue a rapid response. He essentially accepted the challenge, indicating that both fighters would need to navigate their respective promotional affiliations.
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, apparently suggesting both fighters need to secure approval from their respective promotions. “And we’ll finally find out who’s the KING OF THE HEAVYWEIGHT.”
While PFL executives like Donn Davis and Peter Murray have openly expressed their eagerness for this fight, UFC CEO Dana White presents a potentially more complex hurdle. He has stated he would never work with Ngannou again after their contentious split resulted in Ngannou leaving the UFC as champion in 2023.
Jon Jones Faced Backlash for Dismissing Tom Aspinall in Favor of Ngannou Callout
The significant complication surrounding such a potential fight is, naturally, the interim heavyweight champion, Tom Aspinall. The British fighter has long sought an undisputed title bout with Jones but seems increasingly distant from making it happen.
It now appears Aspinall could be sidelined entirely from the undisputed title picture in favor of Ngannou, who technically never lost the undisputed belt in the octagon. Indeed, with ongoing debate over who is the true champion between Jones and Aspinall, it`s often argued that Ngannou`s status as the lineal champion holds prominence.
Indeed, Ngannou promoted himself using this status for both his boxing matches, as well as his single PFL appearance last October. He has become a regular competitor in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, where substantial deals have brought together boxing promoters who previously vowed never to collaborate.
However, convincing UFC CEO Dana White to work with Ngannou again seems unlikely at this juncture, especially given reports of a feud between White and Saudi sports supremo Turki Alalshikh.
Jones faced significant criticism from fans who accused him of `avoiding Aspinall`, leading him to post on X: “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.”
