Nicksick Hints at Ngannou’s Potential Return

UFC heavyweight champion Jon Jones has commented on the speculations surrounding Francis Ngannou’s potential return to the sport. Jones stated on Saturday that a fight between them would be a genuine ‘super fight’ and a ‘clash of champions,’ rather than just media hype.

Ngannou, a former UFC champion, left the promotion in January of the previous year. However, a recent interview featuring his coach, Eric Nicksick, has gained traction online. In the interview, Nicksick alluded to the possibility of the Cameroonian-French mixed martial artist (MMA) making a comeback to the sport.

Shortly after the emergence of the interview, Jones quickly responded with a post on X (formerly known as Twitter), expressing his continued interest in a potential matchup with Ngannou.

Jones wrote on X, “I’m hearing Francis Ngannou is still interested… now we’re talking. That’s a real super fight. A clash of champions, not just hype. He held the UFC belt, I’ve defended mine for over a decade. Two kings from different roads. Not just one legend facing a mouth that’s hot right now, but two real legacies colliding. That’s the kind of fight that actually adds something special to my story. At least from my point of view.”

Speculation about a possible fight between the two fighters initially surfaced over five years ago, one year before Ngannou won his first title against Stipe Miocic. Following Jones’ light heavyweight title defense against Dominick Reyes, he suggested a move to the heavyweight division and raised the possibility of a fight against Ngannou.

However, the fight never materialized allegedly because Jon Jones requested a significantly higher payout than his proportional share of the revenue.

UFC CEO Dana White addressed the issue in a later interview, effectively ending the rumors by stating that the fight wouldn’t occur given Jones’ financial demands.