September 27, 2023 7:40 pm ET
LAS VEGAS – Francis Ngannou gives Jon Jones and Stipe Miocic an equal chance to win in their fight.
Jones (27-1 MMA, 21-1 UFC) defends his heavyweight title against Miocic (20-4 MMA, 14-4 UFC) in the UFC 295 headliner Nov. 11 at Madison Square Garden in New York.
Having fought Miocic twice – losing their first title bout by unanimous decision in 2018 then avenging his loss by knockout in March 2021, Ngannou knows first hand that Miocic is not to be underestimated.
“I put 50-50 on that fight,” Ngannou said during Tuesday’s open workout media scrum in Las Vegas. “I fought Stipe twice, and I know Stipe is pretty good. I know he doesn’t look like it, but I know how tough he is, I know how good he is. I know very well.”
After knocking Miocic out in their rematch then defending his UFC heavyweight title against Ciryl Gane, Ngannou was gearing towards a fight with Jones until he opted to part ways with the UFC.
Jones submitted Gane to capture the vacant UFC heavyweight title, and with Ngannou now a PFL fighter, facing Jones is unlikely. But Ngannou is OK with that.
“I don’t feel like I need, I feel like I want,” Ngannou said on fighting Jones. “I want – it’s not a need.”
Ngannou makes his professional boxing debut in a non-title, 10-round bout against WBC heavyweight champ Tyson Fury Oct. 28 in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
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