Heavyweight knockout artist picks 'Baddest Man on the Planet' between Jon Jones and former opponent Francis Ngannou

Francis Ngannou's departure from the UFC has left plenty of unanswered questions about a potential bout between him and Jon Jones. Heavyweight contender Jairzinho Rozenstruik, who faced the former heavyweight champion in 2020, recently shared that he believes 'Bones' is the 'Baddest Man on the Planet.'

Speaking to The Schmo, the No.9-ranked heavyweight stated:

"The 'Baddest Man' has the strap on his waist and that's Jon Jones. As long as you don't have the strap on your waist, we don't talk about you anymore because who's got the strap, that's the person we chase."

Jairzinho Rozenstruik was then asked to share his prediction in the rumored bout between Jon Jones and Stipe Miocic. He added:

"I definitely agree that [Stipe's] done a lot for the sport and if he beats Jon Jones, we don't know, we're going to see it... I'm excited and in the meantime, I'm going to fight myself up in the rankings."

Check out Jairzhino Rozenstruik's full comments below:

Rozenstruik held a perfect 10-0 record in his mixed martial arts career before clashing with Francis Ngannou at UFC 249. 'The Predator' needed just 20 seconds to knock out his opponent and hand him his first career loss. 'Bigi Boy' is just 3-3 in six fights since. Ngannou went on to claim the heavyweight title in his next bout.

Francis Ngannou's departure: 'The Predator' feels Jon Jones should have sided with him in fighter pay battle

Francis Ngannou and Jon Jones had traded words before they were set to clash for the heavyweight title. However, the bout never materialized as 'The Predator' vacated his belt and opted for mixed martial arts free agency rather than remaining in the UFC. The former heavyweight champion recently shared that he believes 'Bones' should have backed him in his dispute with the promotion.

Speaking with Ariel Helwani on The MMA Hour, Ngannou stated:

"I still do believe that in this situation, we could have been fighting on the same side. Having a rivalry at the opening doesn't [mean we] have to avoid fighting for the same things. Jon, two years ago, was very vocal about the pay, about this, about that. Now, he switched like this. He's just doing him. That's his problem."

Check out Francis Ngannou's full comments below:

Ngannou added that he was disappointed in Jones for changing his stance after receiving a new contract. The former heavyweight champion reportedly requested that fighters be provided with health benefits, representatives in board meetings, and the ability to have sponsorships. Furthermore, he wanted the ability to participate in boxing matches. However, he claimed he was willing to put his boxing debut on hold if his other requests were met.