Jon Jones and Francis Ngannou finally met each other after months of verbal sludges, and after their likely fight fell apart when the Cameroonian-French fighter parted ways with the UFC. Both fighters shared an intense exchange as they blamed each other for dodging the showdown. Despite months of prolonged negotiations, the clash between them failed to see the light of the day. However, the debate still rages on about the favorite to emerge as the victor between the two.
Both rivals crossed paths when they registered their presence at the PFL 5 card in Atlanta. While ‘Bones’ currently sits on the heavyweight division throne, ‘The Predator’ is now the face of PFL. The former UFC fighter is keen to get his hands on Jones to cement his position as the baddest man on the planet. Defeating the current heavyweight champion is an uphill task, but Jones gave away the secret to his rival on how to beat him.
Jon Jones shows his hand to rival Francis Ngannou
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The Rochester native in the conversation can be heard asking whether Ngannou had been wrestling. The new PFL marquee fighter, after addressing it affirmatively, advised him to not let the system fool him.
He said, “I respect you fully. Don’t let the system get you. Play the game. Don’t let the game play you.”
Following this, the 36-year-old expressed his desire to meet him in the ring and wreck him. He stated, “I’ll always be down to fight you [Jon Jones], but nothing personal. But I want you. I want to kick your as*.”
The 27-1-1 record holder responded by parting away with the key to conquer him. He admitted, “If you want to kick my as* Francis, you’re going to have to learn how to wrestle. You’re going to have to learn jiu-jitsu and it’s going to take you more than a year.”
Ngannou then revealed he had been working on his ground game. Notably, his improved ground skills were on display when he defended his title against Ciryl Gane, which also turned out to be his last fight in the promotion.
Lastly, the 17-3 record holder declared his devotion to the fight when he mentioned he was willing to wait for more than a year.
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Ngannou is targeting his PFL debut which might take place early next year. On the other hand, Jones is expected to meet Stipe Miocic next.
What do you think of this heated exchange between two heavyweight fighters? Do you believe a fight involving the two might materialize down the line? Let us know in the comments below.
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