Dana White may be forced to “set his ego aside” for Jon Jones vs. Francis Ngannou, says Eric Nicksick
Francis Ngannou is scheduled to return to MMA against Renan Ferreira in the Professional Fighters League (PFL) in October. Despite his last appearance in the sport coming in 2022, discussions about a fight between 'The Predator' and Jon Jones are yet to dissipate.
A clash between 'Bones' and Ngannou was arguably the most talked about fight in the UFC following Jones' announcement that he would be moving from the light heavyweight division to heavyweight.
But the fight never materialized, with the Cameroonian having parted ways with the promotion several months before the division debut of Jones.
Ngannou was signed by the PFL, and was allowed to explore the world of boxing before returning to the shores of MMA, where he will face Ferreira for a Super Fights world championship belt.
Eric Nicksick, the head coach of 'The Predator', was recently interviewed by MMAJunkie ahead of his student's return to the cage.
Nicksick discussed whether a fight between the former heavyweight champion, and the current heavyweight champion, Jones, would be possible given UFC CEO Dana White's disinterest in cross-promoting with the PFL.
He said:
"Money talks man, and no disrespect to Dana but he has a boss as well. If somebody tells [him], 'Hey man, this is a lot of money. We're taking this. Set your ego aside.' I think Dana is in a position where he wants to make the best fights, and he's not gonna let his ego, or past history, take advantage of that."
Watch Eric Nicksick discuss Francis Ngannou vs. Jon Jones below (12:10):
Francis Ngannou previews his PFL debut clash with Renan Ferreira
Francis Ngannou defeated Ciryl Gane at UFC 270 before parting ways with the promotion, with the heavyweight fighter eager to explore the world of boxing.
After signing a deal with the PFL, 'The Predator' was allowed to negotiate deals to fight both Tyson Fury and Anthony Joshua. But the former heavyweight champion will now return to the cage, and face the gigantic Renan Ferreira, who stands at 6-foot-8.
The 37-year old has now previewed his return to MMA during an interview with Sky Sports, saying:
"In terms of style, I think [Ferreira] might be more like a Ciryl Gane-style. Moving, fast and all that. Even better, because he has a long range and he knows how to use it. Very fast hands, so he's unique as an opponent."
Watch Francis Ngannou discuss Renan Ferreira below: