Jon Jones shared his reaction to Francis Ngannou’s impressive performance against Tyson Fury.
Last Saturday represented a historic moment in Ngannou’s fighting career as he went toe-to-toe with one of the greatest heavyweight boxers of this generation.
Despite losing by split decision, the former UFC heavyweight champion silenced the doubters who thought he would have no chance against Fury.
Before booking the boxing match with Fury, Ngannou negotiated with the UFC to potentially re-sign and make a super-fight with Jon Jones. When ‘The Predator’ went in a different direction, he and Jones exchanged words in a back-and-forth argument through social media and interviews.
As a result, some fans wondered what Jones thought of Ngannou’s performance against Fury. One person asked the question to ‘Bones’ on Twitter by saying:
“Nothing to say from Francis performance?”
Jones responded with the following message:
“I thought he did great, I’m glad the fight was competitive. Opens so many doors for everyone in the future.”
Jon Jones vs. Francis Ngannou is widely considered to be the biggest fight that could be made in MMA. Unfortunately, both fighters have gone their separate ways, which will likely make the matchup another one that got away.
I thought he did great, I’m glad the fight was competitive. Opens so many doors for everyone in the future. https://t.co/ESM0pslthP
— BONY (@JonnyBones) October 30, 2023
What’s next for Jon Jones and Francis Ngannou?
In March of this year, Jon Jones returned to the Octagon for the first time in three years. His first fight back was his heavyweight debut, where ‘Bones’ submitted Ciryl Gane in round one to secure the vacant title.
Unfortunately, Jones was supposed to defend his title for the first time in December against Stipe Miocic before tearing his pectoral muscle. ‘Bones’ is doing whatever it takes to get surgery soon, but he likely won’t fight again until late 2024.
Meanwhile, Francis Ngannou has set himself up for many more opportunities in boxing and MMA. There’s no doubt ‘The Predator’ wants to return to boxing for another payday, but he’s also agreed to fight in MMA in 2024 under the PFL banner.
Considering Jones’ future retirement plans, the matchup between him and Ngannou is unlikely to materialize. With that said, anything can happen in the combat sports world, which Ngannou proved again last Saturday.
I hate the hard times, hate adversity but love being a man that gets to represent tenacity and refusing to quit. I believe even my haters have a hard time not betting on me. I’m not a man to count out. Best days are still to come.
— BONY (@JonnyBones) October 30, 2023
