Former UFC light heavyweight champion Jon Jones, who surrendered his strap back in late 2020 in order to make his slow and steady transition to heavyweight, has expressed a strong desire to battle reigning 265-pound kingpin Francis Ngannou.
But only on social media.
“I think the first thing we have to know is if Jon Jones is going to fight or not because actually, he finds himself a better battle on Twitter than in the Octagon,” Ngannou said on Bruce Buffer’s “It’s Time!” podcast. “We agreed on Jon Jones. As the champion you have to defend against anyone who stands to be the perfect challenger, who puts himself there. When I first fought Stipe, Jon wasn’t even on the landscape, he wasn’t even in the conversation. There will always be a fight. The only problem will be how and when.”
Probably not in 2022, if at all.
That’s because Ngannou will be sidelined until further notice after undergoing knee surgery to repair damage sustained in the lead up to his Ciryl Gane title defense at UFC 270 in Anaheim. And Jones has yet to make amends with UFC President Dana White.
See you in 2023?