"Changing up the training style" - Jon Jones indicates changes in gameplan for potential title clash against Francis Ngannou
Jon Jones has already started preparing for his next fight. His latest tweet indicates he's fighting none other than the recently crowned UFC heavyweight champion, Francis Ngannou.
In a recent tweet, Jon Jones shared a video showing him undergoing rigorous training for his next fight. In the video, Jones can be seen practicing takedown drills along with strength, stamina and speed conditioning exercises. At the end of the clip, Jones and Ngannou are shown facing each other, indicating who Bones' next opponent is.
Jones also mentioned that he is looking to change his style a bit for the potential clash against Ngannou. Perhaps Jones is looking to take a bit of a grappling-based approach to the fight, which seems to be the only possible hole in Ngannou's game at the moment.
However, Ngannou defended Miocic's takedown attempts brilliantly this time around and even reversed one of them. But Jon Jones is no ordinary wrestler. He took down former Olympic wrestler Daniel Cormier with ease during their first fight and has the capability to inflict damage on Ngannou from the ground.
Another possible way for Jones to beat Ngannou is by taking the fight to deep waters. Ngannou is known to gas out quickly due to his voluminous strikes. If Jones can get through the first couple of rounds, he might find himself in the driving seat.
Also Read: Who are Jon Jones' Brothers?
Why hasn't the Jon Jones vs Francis Ngannou fight been booked yet?
Jones has been very active on Twitter since Ngannou's emphatic win against Stipe Miocic at UFC 260. The former light heavyweight champ claimed he wants to fight Ngannou but only if the UFC pays him the right price for it. Jones even claimed that $8-10 million is too little to get him to sign for the fight.
However, it doesn't seem like Dana White is willing to budge. Initially, White claimed that Jon Jones is asking for absurd amounts of money to take the fight because he doesn't want to fight Francis Ngannou. White even suggested that if he were Jones, he'd drop down to the middleweight division after watching Ngannou destroy Miocic.
Jon Jones refuted all such claims and said that he isn't scared of Ngannou and is willing to take the fight. But he also knows his worth and feels that he isn't being paid adequately for his services by the promotion.
Only time will tell if Jones and the promotion can come to a middle ground so that the super-fight against Ngannou can be booked.