Joe Rogan questions whether Francis Ngannou has the necessary skill sets to subdue Jon Jones in heavyweight
Joe Rogan recently weighed in on a potential heavyweight title clash between Jon Jones and Francis Ngannou. The UFC color commentator believes Jones' elite grappling skillset could be a concern for Ngannou, who has been outwrestled by Stipe Miocic in the past.
However, Rogan also lauded Ngannou's impressive wrestling display in his UFC 270 title defense against Ciryl Gane. Regardless, the renowned podcaster isn't convinced that the heavyweight champion's grappling has developed well enough to deal with Jones, who has out grappled Olympic wrestler Daniel Cormier in the past. Rogan recently told fitness educator Derek on The Joe Rogan Experience podcast:
"The question is, has Francis gotten better with grapling? Well, he definitely has because he beat Ciryl Gane with grappling. That was the fight he fought with his blown out leg… Francis beat him with grappling so Francis’s grappling even with a f**ked up leg has gotten a lot better. But has it got to Jon Jones’ level? That’s the big question. Jon took down Daniel Cormier who’s an Olympic wrestler."
Watch Rogan's comments below (5:22):
Joe Rogan believes Francis Ngannou has a huge striking advantage over Jon Jones
Joe Rogan believes the legitimacy of Jon Jones's claim to MMA G.O.A.T status cannot be questioned. However, the UFC color commentator believes that 'Bones' may have taken too long of a hiatus from fighting.
While Rogan lauded Jones' grappling and distance management, he is waiting to see how well the skillsets translate to heavyweight. The podcaster also believes that Ngannou's unworldly knockout power gives 'The Predator' a major advantage against 'Bones' on the feet. Rogan further told Derek:
"Jon is an absolute monster when it comes to grappling and he’s also just as tall as anybody in the heavyweight division. He has a phenomenal understanding of distance, he’s the very best at utilizing reach. When he goes up, how does he deal with these bigger guys? The thing about Francis, though, is that he has nuclear power. It's a totally different kind of power... And Jon has to be very very very aware of that. Francis has a giant striking advantage, giant."
Watch Rogan's comments below (5:19):