Jon Jones has been very active on Twitter recently, and in one of his posts, he expressed renewed interest in facing Francis Ngannou, the former UFC heavyweight champion who now holds a PFL SuperFight title.
Francis Ngannou`s coach, Eric Nicksick, recently suggested that Ngannou would be open to potentially returning to the UFC in the future. Ngannou had previously left the UFC, vacating his heavyweight title after feeling mistreated and undervalued. He then signed with the PFL, taking on roles as both a fighter and an ambassador for PFL Africa. Since Ngannou`s departure, Jon Jones captured the vacant UFC heavyweight championship, while Ngannou has pursued opportunities in professional boxing and the PFL, reportedly earning significant income.
On Friday, Jones tweeted that a fight against Ngannou would genuinely motivate him to compete again, contrasting this with his apparent lack of enthusiasm for a potential bout against interim champion Tom Aspinall. Within 24 hours, Ngannou posted his reply.
Ngannou`s response, shared on Twitter, stated: “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.”
A fight between Jones and Ngannou was heavily discussed and desired by both fighters previously, particularly after Jones moved up from the light heavyweight division to heavyweight. However, the anticipated clash never happened. According to UFC CEO Dana White at the time, the fight didn`t materialize because Jones was seeking a financial package comparable to that of boxing star Deontay Wilder.
Since then, Dana White has repeatedly stated that he is not interested in collaborating with Ngannou in the future. Conversely, PFL founder Donn Davis has expressed a strong desire to make the fight happen, suggesting a potential co-promotion between the PFL and the UFC.
Jon Jones`s first title defense occurred against Stipe Miocic at UFC 309 last November. A month earlier, Ngannou made his PFL debut, securing a dominant first-round TKO victory over Renan Ferreira.
