Jon Jones breaks silence on Francis Ngannou as he eyes dramatic UFC return

Daily Mirror

07-06-2025

UFC heavyweight champion Jon Jones has given his take after Eric Nicksick revealed that Francis Ngannou would be open to fighting in the UFC once again
Jon Jones has expressed his interest in a super-fight with Francis Ngannou, following rumours that the 'Predator' might make a sensational return to UFC.
Ngannou's coach, Eric Nicksick, sparked these rumours when he suggested that his star fighter could be open to competing under the UFC banner once again. In an interview with Home of Fight, the American coach stated that enough time has passed since the 38-year-old left the UFC on bad terms for the two parties to reconcile.
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He believes that the Cameroonian would be open to this idea, as it has always been about business rather than ego. Nicksick also added that Tom Aspinall is fully deserving of the opportunity to be UFC champion. However, fans have shown their excitement over the possibility of Ngannou's return following these comments.
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Just hours after the interview went viral online, Jones was quick to share his thoughts and claimed he is still interested in going head-to-head with the 38 year old. In a post uploaded to X -formerly known as Twitter - the UFC heavyweight champion posted: "I'm hearing Francis Ngannou is still interested... now we're talking. That's a real super fight.
"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."
In another post, 'Bones' took a dig at Aspinall after fans suggested Ngannou would be an easier opponent for him in the cage. "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," he wrote.
Jones and Ngannou have been exchanging heated words online about a potential fight for several years. The first whispers of a possible showdown between the two emerged back in 2020. After 'Bones' successfully defended his light-heavyweight title against Dominick Reyes, he was keen to step up and challenge for another title.
However, the highly anticipated fight never materialised after Jones made a staggering financial demand. In an interview with ESPN, UFC CEO Dana White quashed the speculation, stating: "For the amount of money he's asking for, it's not going to happen. He couldn't be asking for a more absurd amount of money at a worse time," White added. "We have text messages from Jon Jones. It's not like I can't prove that what I'm saying is true because we have text messages. I'll quote him on what he said. He said, 'I want what Deontay Wilder made against Tyson Fury."