Jon Jones has responded to missing out on a world title super-fight with Francis Ngannou by expressing his support for the heavyweight champion after he left the UFC.
The Cameroonian is one of the hardest-hitting fighters in MMA history, and a bout between he and Jones was being touted for later this year. But when a deal couldn't be reached with the UFC, Ngannou ended up leaving the promotion, putting an end to the idea of a meeting with Jones.
Former light-heavyweight champion Jones is considered by many to be the greatest fighter of all time, and has spent the past three years since his last title defence bulking up in the hopes of scoring a heavyweight title opportunity. He will get that on March 4 when he faces Ciryl Gane for the vacant strap.
“I’m happy for Francis,” Jones told Sports Illustrated. “I’m glad that Francis knows his worth. No man has a right to shame another man for fighting for his worth. I was in a very similar situation as Francis as a light heavyweight. I was never happy with my salary. I had to sit out three years, and I missed a lot of time, but now we’re here."
And Jones is confident that the pair can still one day meet in the octagon, once a deal is eventually reached between the UFC and Ngannou after he spends some time testing free agency. The heavyweight champion is keen to get in the boxing ring, which would have been prohibited with a new UFC deal, and could also move to another promotion such as Bellator or PFL before returning.
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"I encourage Francis on his journey, and I wish him all the best," Jones added. "Another company is going to be truly blessed to have him. I do believe my path will cross with Francis. Dana White always gives the fans what they want to see, and a Jon Jones-Francis Ngannou fight will always be a fight of interest. So I’m not counting it out. I’ll keep an eye on Francis.”
It was announced during a bitter press conference by UFC boss Dana White on Saturday that Ngannou would be leaving the UFC in an immediate parting of ways. However, the champion insists that he could still return, saying on The MMA Hour: “I don’t take any of this personally, but one thing that I know, even in that situation, it has to be on my terms.”
