Tristar MMA head coach and mixed martial arts tactician, Firas Zahabi has heaped praise on Jon Jones following his vacant heavyweight title victory at UFC 285 last weekend, as well as claiming the Endicott native would also defeat former titleholder, Francis Ngannou in a potential future fight.
Headlining UFC 285 last weekend in Las Vegas, Nevada, Jones managed to hand former interim heavyweight titleholder, Ciryl Gane in a main event bracket, stopping the Frenchman with a spectacular first round guillotine choke to land the vacant heavyweight crown.
Expected to fight former two-time undisputed heavyweight titleholder, Stipe Miocic at UFC 290 during International Fight Week in his first attempted title defense this summer, Jon Jones is targeted to make his return as soon as the opening week of July.
Firas Zahabi showers praise on Jon Jones following UFC 285 title triumph
Predicting a victory of Miocic with the help of God – Jones, who urged the Ohio native to take time away from his job as a firefighter to focus on the earmarked July showdown, has been picked to also defeat Cameroon knockout artist, Ngannou if they ever share the Octagon together by Tristar MMA mainstay, Zahabi.
“Jon (Jones) with one ab, beat Ciryl Gane – easy,” Firas Zahabi said on his YouTube channel. “And if they restarted that fight, I would pick Jon. If they restarted that fight 10 times, I would pick Jon. I think he’s levels above [everyone else].”
“And if he fights (Francis) Ngannou – call me crazy if you like, but he’s going to be beat Ngannou,” Firas Zahabi explained. “Not that he’s going to fight Ngannou – I don’t think that fight’s going to happen. But he beats Ngannou. And if he fights (Stipe) Miocic, I’m telling you guys now – I haven’t done a pre-fight analysis [yet] – he’ll beat Miocic. He’ll beat him.”
Reflecting on his own title victory over Gane, Jones claimed that he was destined to add to his light heavyweight spoils in his UFC return this month.
“This isn’t a job to me,” Jon Jones said. “It is my life. It’s my identity. This is who I was intended to be in my mother’s womb. It’s my purpose. This is my destiny.”