Jon Jones reacts to Francis Ngannou’s comeback speculations

UFC heavyweight champion Jon Jones on Saturday reacted to Francis Ngannous’s comeback speculations saying ‘That’s a real super fight. A clash of champions, not just hype.’

The former UFC champion Ngannou parted ways with the promotion in January 2023, however, the interview of his coach Eric Nicksick recently went viral online in which he is suggesting that the Cameroonian-French mixed martial artist (MMA) could make a comeback.

Shortly after the interview went viral, Jones was quick enough to respond through a post on X -formerly Twitter, claiming that he is still interested in fighting Ngannou. 

"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,” Jones wrote on X.

“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," Jones added.

Rumours of the highly anticipated bout between the two first emerged more than five years ago, a year before Ngannou secured his first title against Stipe Miocic. Following Jones' light heavyweight title defence against Dominick Reyes, he hinted at a move to the heavyweight division and floated the idea of a fight with Ngannou.

However, the fight failed to pan out because Jon Jones reportedly asked for a much larger payout than his fair share of the revenue. 

UFC CEO Dana White later addressed the situation in an interview putting an end to the speculation, saying, "For the amount of money he’s asking for, it’s not going to happen.”