Jon Jones reveals the one thing he needs to do to beat Francis Ngannou
Jon Jones has been teasing a move to the Heavyweight division for a few years now. Things are getting interesting in the Light Heavyweight division, however, as many believe Dominick Reyes beat Jon Jones at UFC 247, while Jan Blachowicz secured a title shot in February after knocking Corey Anderson out.
Jon Jones, however, has been talking about a move to Heavyweight now more than ever. Dana White revealed that he had serious talks with Jon Jones about fighting top Heavyweight contender Francis Ngannou, but he stated that the Light Heavyweight Champion asked for "too much" money.
Jon Jones, on the other hand, said that it doesn't make sense for him to move to Heavyweight if the price isn't right. It's led to a dispute with the UFC where he's now stated that he won't fight until they pay him what he feels he deserves.
Appearing on Steve-O’s podcast (H/T BJPENN.com), Jon Jones explained how a possible fight against Francis Ngannou would play out:
“With Francis Ngannou, it is very simple. Get comfortable with the worst-case scenario. The worst-case scenario he knocks you the f**k out, he possibly fractures a bone in your face. That is the worst-case scenario, you get real comfortable with that idea, and then it becomes easy,”
Jon Jones said that being mentally prepared to get hurt is key:
“If he doesn’t knock you out and break your face, you are smart, fast, you have a chin, you have great head movement, you can wrestle. There are a lot of ways things can play out. So, I just think about the worst-case scenario. [Just] get yourself mentally to a place where you are walking into that. Like, okay, I’m getting ready to go out there and this guy could possibly hurt me tonight.”
He said that all he has to do is get past round one to win the fight:
“Francis Ngannou is dangerous, yes, and I believe he has a chance to knock me the f**k out. Let’s say that out loud,” he explained. “But, if I don’t get knocked out, I believe I win that fight. I just have to get through round one and I win that fight.”
It's an interesting take, but we can't be certain about Jon Jones' Heavyweight status until he actually steps into the Octagon.
Is Francis Ngannou a realistic opponent for Jon Jones?
Francis Ngannou is in a tough position in the Heavyweight division. He's essentially cleared out the division by himself and is waiting for Stipe Miocic vs Daniel Cormier 3 to play out this August so he can finally get his guaranteed title shot.
If he's meant to wait for longer, we can see a scenario where UFC tries booking the dream fight between Jon Jones and Francis Ngannou. However, there's no denying that it's an extremely high-risk fight for Jon Jones.