5 reasons why Francis Ngannou would destroy Jon Jones
Last weekend, Francis Ngannou picked up arguably the biggest win of his UFC career. He successfully defended his heavyweight title against Ciryl Gane - his toughest opponent to date.
Assuming he stays with the UFC going forward, one name who might be up next for Ngannou is former light heavyweight champion Jon Jones. Could ‘The Predator’ beat the former pound-for-pound king?
If this is the Apex of heavyweight fighting, I’m excited about it. Got some more records to break
Based on what the native of Cameroon has shown in the octagon so far, the answer is almost definitely yes. Jones would undoubtedly be the biggest test Ngannou has ever faced. However, he’d also be one ‘The Predator’ would hope to pass with flying colors.
On that note, here are five reasons why Ngannou would destroy Jon Jones if the two were to meet in the octagon:
#5. Jon Jones would barely hold a reach advantage over Francis Ngannou
Jon Jones is undoubtedly an immensely talented fighter. While he has clearly trained hard to reach the top level, he has also been blessed with some unique physical attributes.
‘Bones’ holds one of the longest reaches in UFC history. His reach measures 84.5”, which has been a key factor in his success inside the octagon. During his 14-year career with the promotion, Jones has kept opponents such as Glover Teixeira, Daniel Cormier and Rashad Evans at the end of his punches.
However, in a prospective fight with Francis Ngannou, while Jones would still hold a reach advantage, that certainly wouldn’t be as telling as it has been for most of his fighting career.
The Predator holds a long reach of his own – 83” to be exact. The fact that Ngannou has a naturally bigger frame than Jones suggests that the former 205 lbs kingpin might not be able to keep the former at the end of his strikes.
Interestingly, the only time Jones struggled to strike an opponent inside the octagon was against Alexander Gustafsson at UFC 165 – a fighter with a lengthy reach in his own right.
Seven years ago today, rising challenger Alexander Gustafsson pushed then light heavyweight champ Jon Jones to the brink at UFC 165.
Gustafsson offered the toughest test of Jones’ career to that point in what would ultimately become the Fight of the Year for 2013. https://t.co/mMgMdEY5br
Is it likely Ngannou would use his own jab to keep Jones at bay? Based on what we’ve seen from ‘The Predator’, it’s unlikely. However, it’s equally unlikely that ‘Bones’ could jab Ngannou to death too, and without that ability, the former light-heavyweight champion may well lose.