Jon Jones is not afraid of a fight with Francis Ngannou, according to his rival Daniel Cormier.
Regardless of their fierce rivalry, Daniel Cormier is making his defense of Jon Jones, stating it’s “absurd” to think he is afraid of fighting newly crowned heavyweight champion Francis Ngannou.
Ngannou won the UFC heavyweight title this past weekend with a brutal knockout over Stipe Miocic at UFC 260. Jones’ name was brought into the mix straight after the fight, as his planned move to heavyweight sparked discussion of a fight with Ngannou.
Jones (26-1, 1NC) is widely considered the greatest MMA fighter of all-time. The former light heavyweight king has defeated some of the sport’s biggest names, such as Vitor Belfort, Rashad Evans and Cormier twice (one of those wins later being changed to a no-contest).
DC made his position clear, on a recent edition of the “D.C. and Helwani” podcast on ESPN, that he flat out rejects the idea that fear has anything to do with the current negotiations
“Jon Jones, for everything that is between we us, is not afraid of Francis Ngannou,” Cormier said (h/t MMA Mania). “This is absurd that people think that.”
A fight between Ngannou and Jones seems doubtful after another pay dispute between the UFC and their longtime former light heavyweight champion. Dana White’s public comments, and Jone’s own Twitter rants have led to remarks from fans that Jones is scared of Ngannou. Most recently, Jones even went so far as to ask the UFC to cut him since he feels they’re unwilling to pay him what he’s worth.
“Jon Jones is one of the most talented guys I have seen inside the Octagon and if you have to find someone who can piece together a way to solve the Francis Ngannou puzzle, it is Jon Jones,” Cormier concluded.