Francis Ngannou vs Jon Jones: Two potential dates for the UFC heavyweight super fight
The Francis Ngannou vs Jon Jones UFC heavyweight super fight is likely to take place either in summer 2021 or fall 2021.
The UFC heavyweight title matchup between The Predator and Bones has two potential dates that have been discussed over the past few months.
Back in January 2021, UFC president Dana White revealed that the winner of the UFC heavyweight title fight between Stipe Miocic and Francis Ngannou will defend the title against Jon Jones in the summer of 2021.
A few days back, Dana White asserted that the winner of Stipe Miocic vs. Francis Ngannou would defend the title against Jon Jones in the fall of 2021.
Stipe Miocic vs. Francis Ngannou 2 – The Firefighter could be out for a long time, while The Predator faces other foes
Stipe Miocic is widely regarded as one of the toughest fighters to have ever competed in the sport of MMA. That said, Miocic was on the receiving end of a considerable amount of damage in his UFC 260 matchup against Francis Ngannou.
Not only did Francis Ngannou consistently out-strike and out-grapple Stipe Miocic, but also stopped Miocic with a vicious KO in round two. In addition to the neurological aftereffects of the knockout, Miocic also appeared to hurt his leg.
Miocic landed awkwardly on his left knee after being knocked down by Ngannou’s thunderous left hand, before a follow-up right hammer-fist marked the end of the fight. Stipe Miocic’s wife, Ryan Marie Miocic, subsequently took to social media to reassure fans that her husband was fine.
And lest one forget, Miocic did hold a win over Ngannou. They’re currently 1-1 in their series of fights. Stipe Miocic bested Francis Ngannou via unanimous decision at UFC 220 (January 20th, 2018). And Ngannou defeated Miocic via second-round KO at UFC 260 (March 27th, 2021).
However, the timeline for Miocic’s comeback to the octagon, details regarding whether or not he suffered a leg injury, and the decisions that have to be made by him and his team ahead of his next fight, are yet to unravel.
Considering that, it wouldn’t be surprising to see Francis Ngannou face an opponent not named Stipe Miocic in his next octagon outing. Moreover, prior to UFC 260, Dana White and the UFC had emphasized that the winner of Stipe Miocic vs. Francis Ngannou will defend the title against Jon Jones in their next fight.
Francis Ngannou vs. Jon Jones – Summer or fall of 2021
In an interview with BT Sport in January 2021, UFC boss Dana White noted that Jon Jones’ heavyweight debut could come to fruition this summer. White stated:
"Yeah, Francis deserves this shot, you know. And if you look at what Stipe has accomplished. It's impossible not to call him the greatest heavyweight of all time. So to see him and Francis square off again. And if...imagine if he can beat Francis again, he will look like an absolute killer. Then you would get Stipe and Jon Jones, or you would get Jon Jones versus Francis.
"I think he's ready as soon as he sees what happens with the heavyweight championship. I think he would come in right now and fight for it, but you can't jump over Francis. Francis has earned the shot.
“Yeah, summer,” Dana White said regarding when the Jon Jones vs. Miocic-Ngannou winner matchup could take place. (H/T Sportskeeda for the transcription)
On the contrary, a few days back, Dana White seemingly changed the potential timeline for the Jon Jones vs Miocic-Ngannou winner matchup. Speaking to ESPN MMA, White stated:
"Jones has been training for this moment for a while now. He's been putting on weight...and preparing to move up to heavyweight. I'm sure he'll be watching closely on Saturday night and then, whoever wins, we'll figure out when this fight happens. Assuming what makes the most sense, it's Jones vs. the winner (of UFC 260) sometime in the fall."
Speaking of Jon Jones, the former UFC light heavyweight kingpin chimed in with his views on the UFC 260 heavyweight title clash. Jones insinuated that he wasn’t impressed by Miocic’s showing in the fight. The MMA legend also asserted that he’s more than willing to fight Francis Ngannou, provided that the UFC accords him (Jones) the financial remuneration he deserves.