Jon Jones has been very active on social media recently, and one of his posts specifically expressed interest in a long-discussed matchup against former UFC heavyweight champion and current PFL star Francis Ngannou.
Ngannou’s head coach, Eric Nicksick, recently indicated that Ngannou would “100 percent” consider returning to the UFC in the future. After feeling undervalued and mistreated during his time as champion, Ngannou vacated his belt and opted to sign with PFL, not only as a fighter but also as an ambassador for PFL Africa. While Jones went on to claim the vacant UFC title, Ngannou has pursued lucrative opportunities in both professional boxing and the PFL cage.
Last Friday, Jones tweeted that a fight against Ngannou would motivate him to compete again, unlike a potential bout with interim champion Tom Aspinall. Less than a day 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 posted on Twitter.
Both Jones and Ngannou had publicly called for this fight multiple times in the past, particularly after Jones made the move up to heavyweight from the light heavyweight division. However, the highly anticipated clash never materialized. UFC CEO Dana White previously stated that the bout didn`t happen because Jones was asking for significant compensation, comparable to major boxing purses, which he termed “Deontay Wilder money.”
Subsequently, White has repeatedly stated that he has no interest in working with Ngannou again. In contrast, PFL founder Donn Davis has expressed keen interest in potentially co-promoting a fight between Jones and Ngannou with the UFC.
Regarding recent fighting activity, Jon Jones defended his UFC title for the first time against Stipe Miocic at UFC 309 in November. A month prior, Francis Ngannou made his debut in the PFL, securing a dominant first-round TKO victory over Renan Ferreira.
