Watch: Francis Ngannou back to padwork amid speculations of Jon Jones mega-fight on comeback
Francis Ngannou has posted a video of him doing padwork with his coach for the first time since his ACL reconstruction. He tore the ligament in preparation for his bout against Ciryl Gane back at UFC 270 in January.
Ngannou wrote on Twitter:
"Back on the pads. Step by step."
🏿 @DeweyCooper @gymsharkBack on the pads. Step by step ☝🏿 @DeweyCooper @gymshark https://t.co/T8T0gJwPTD
Arguably one of the most difficult injuries to comeback from, Ngannou will be hoping his recovery from surgery goes to plan. A possible superfight against Jon Jones has been discussed for some time now, and Ngannou will hope to be fully healthy if the two do square off.
With not many other names being thrown into the hat right now, Jones could be the only opponent genuinely capable of being matched up with Francis Ngannou. A third fight with Stipe Miocic seems unnecessary at this stage. However, the UFC will be considering all top prospects.
Francis Ngannou's next opponent could be decided in London
With UFC London set to take place this weekend, Francis Ngannou and the UFC matchmakers may have an easy decision when picking Ngannou's next opponent.
The main event clash between rising star Tom Aspinall and perennial top contender Curtis Blaydes will be a huge fight for the weight class. Aspinall and Blaydes are the No.6 and No.4-ranked fighters in the heavyweight division, respectively, and the victor may well be in title contention come Sunday morning.
Catch the ceremonial weigh-ins and face off this Friday.
With Tai Tuivasa fighting the man Ngannou just defeated, Ciryl Gane, the only other top contenders who have not yet faced the champion are Aspinall and Blaydes. This could tempt the matchmakers to grant the winner a crack at the title, depending on the nature of negotiations between Jon Jones and the UFC.
Ngannou will have at least one eye on this weekend's main event, hoping to see the variety of weapons that Aspinall has in his arsenal. The Brit has totaled less than 15 complete minutes of fight time in his 5 UFC fights. That is less than a 3 round fight.
However, the strong wrestling base that Blaydes fights from should not be underestimated. Both men are capable of winning and jumping to the front of the line in the heavyweight title-fight conversation.