Bellator ready to sign Francis Ngannou, talk offering him a dream boxing plus MMA deal
Bellator is reportedly in talks to sign Francis Ngannou, the former UFC heavyweight champion.
Scott Coker, the president of Bellator, has expressed his interest in signing the fighter and offering him a dream deal that includes both MMA and boxing.
Speaking to MMAJunkie, Coker said:
“From my perspective, then you talk about signing him to Bellator, we’re also talking about having a conversation with him and Stephen (Espinoza), which happened earlier this week, about getting into Showtime pay-per-view boxing, too."
Coker recently had a sit-down meeting with Ngannou, and is optimistic that a deal can be reached. The potential deal would also involve Showtime pay-per-view boxing, according to Coker. He believes that Bellator is the perfect company to offer Ngannou on both sides of the combat sports business that he desires.
"I think we have a great company to offer him both sides of the combat sports business that he would like to, which is fight MMA and also box. I think we're a great fit. There's ongoing discussions, so we'll see what happens," said Coker to MMA Junkie and other reporters ahead of Bellator 291.
If the deal is successful, it would be a significant coup for Bellator and could have major implications for the combat sports industry. Francis Ngannou has become one of the biggest stars in MMA, and his potential move to Bellator and boxing could open up new opportunities for fighters to compete in both sports. Fans will be eagerly awaiting for further news on the ongoing discussions between Bellator and Ngannou.
Jon Jones reacts to Francis Ngannou claiming himself to be the undisputed heavyweight king
In a recent interview, former UFC light heavyweight champion Jon Jones reacted to Francis Ngannou's claim that he is the undisputed heavyweight king. Jones, who has long been considered one of the greatest fighters in UFC history, was scheduled to face Ngannou in a highly anticipated matchup before the Cameroonian fighter left the promotion earlier this year.
In a post on social media, Jones said:
"I found an interview of Francis talking about how he’ll forever be the undisputed champion because no one beat him. Once I saw that my tone changed. I thought I would tell how I really felt. He did make the right decision, he left before I came back. Smart move!"
Jones went on to say that he believes the only way to truly become the undisputed champion is to face and defeat all of the top fighters in the division. While he acknowledged Francis Ngannou's impressive run as champion, Jones does not believe that anyone can truly claim to be the undisputed champion without facing him in the octagon.
It remains to be seen whether Jones and Ngannou will ever have the opportunity to face each other in the UFC, but for now, it seems that Jones is content to let his words do the talking.
Check out Jones' tweet below:
I found an interview of Francis talking about he’ll forever be the undisputed champion because no one beat him. Once I saw that, my tone changed. I thought I would tell how I really felt. He did make the right decision, he left before I came back. Smart move!