It doesn’t sound like Daniel Cormier (or his balls) will be returning to light heavyweight after his UFC 241 title fight against Stipe Miocic in August. Heck, “DC” might not return to heavyweight, either, with his mixed martial arts (MMA) retirement already past due.
That’s why bitter rival and current 205-pound titleholder, Jon Jones, is already setting his sights on new challenges in the higher weight class, which no longer involves former heavyweight champion and current WWE superstar, Brock Lesnar.
Francis Ngannou, however…
“That’s a scary dude,” Jones told TMZ Sports. “But, that’s why I’m in it, for it to be hard. I’m aware that the greater the challenge, that’s what makes it great. The hard is what makes it great. There’s a lot of fights at the heavyweight division that are always gonna be extremely appealing. Cain Velasquez, Francis Ngannou…”
Velasquez is no longer the dominant fighter he was at 265 pounds, fighting just once since 2016 and getting wrecked by Ngannou for his efforts. Outside of Cormier, there’s probably no bigger fight than “The Predator.”
Who, not surprisingly, is on board.
“Personally, I mean, it would be a good fight, first of all for the fans, for me, yes,” Ngannou told TMZ Sports. “Even though Jon Jones is a light heavyweight, this guy has made his legacy, dominating the whole division. He’s a big dude. I met him once, we almost, we are the same height, we are almost the same thing. I might just have a few pounds on him. That would be a legit fight. I’m here for the challenge, but I just want to take things one at a time. I don’t want to mix them up. But yes, I would definitely want that fight.”
A potential Ngannou vs. Jones super fight will have to wait as both combatants have their work to do in upcoming bouts. “The Predator” battles ex-heavyweight champion Junior dos Santos this weekend in Minneapolis, while “Bones” defends his 205-pound strap against power-punching contender, Thiago Santos.
And if “Jones” can withstand the power of “Marreta,” perhaps he could do the same against Ngannou.