Francis Ngannou shares inside scoop on potential UFC crossover fight with Jon Jones: "I know the truth"
Francis Ngannou recently weighed in on the possibility of a crossover fight with Jon Jones. Last Saturday, 'The Predator' made a triumphant return to MMA, delivering a devastating first-round knockout via ground-and-pound against Renan Ferreira in his PFL debut.
Jones wasted no time in expressing his admiration for Ngannou's performance on X, while also subtly reigniting talks of a potential superfight—one that the MMA community has been clamoring for, before the former UFC heavyweight champion made the decision to part ways with the promotion and relinquish his title.
During a recent appearance on The Ariel Helwani Show, Ngannou addressed Jones' remarks and noted that, with Saudi Arabian adviser Turki Alalshikh involved in both the UFC and PFL, there’s a real possibility he could square off against the reigning UFC heavyweight champion in a major cross-promotion showdown in 2025:
"I see him too, and I will be watching him on Nov. 16... There's a chance [we could fight]. I can't tell on a scale of one to 10, I can't tell how much, but I know there's a chance. I know that fight also interests Turki, and not many things resist him... I know the truth, I've been behind the scenes, so I know exactly what happened, and I do believe that he [Jones] wants to fight."
Check out Francis Ngannou's comments below (18:05):
'Bones' is preparing for his first title defense against former champion Stipe Miocic in the main event of UFC 309, scheduled for Nov. 16 at Madison Square Garden in New York City.
When Francis Ngannou set the record straight on allegations of ducking Jon Jones
During an interview with ESPN MMA in March 2023, Francis Ngannou responded to UFC CEO Dana White's repeated claims that the matchup with Jon Jones never materialized because 'The Predator' "didn't want the fight."
Ngannou clarified that he wasn’t avoiding 'Bones' when he decided to turn down the promotion's contract offer:
"There is not a fight on Earth that I would back down from; I don't care. I go there, and whatever happens, happens. It's the sport. And definitely, Jon Jones is not the guy—I mean, he might be the best fighter ever, but he's not the guy that I'm running away from, no, not him. I will fight Jon Jones twice a month."
Check out Francis Ngannou's comments below (10:18):