Francis Ngannou continues to say he would prefer to make his first UFC heavyweight title defense against Jon Jones, with multiple obstacles still in the way of bringing the two together.
Ngannou (16-3 MMA, 11-2 UFC) won the heavyweight title in March with a knockout of Stipe Miocic in a mere 52 seconds. He immediately began touting a first title defense against Jones, while claiming he would be open to fighting whoever UFC decides should be next.
In a video posted to TMZ Sports, Ngannou continues to hold out hope that Jones will be his next fight.
“I want Jon Jones … definitely,” Ngannou said in the video while walking along a street in Beverly Hills, Calif. “I don’t care about what the talk says. I love that fight.”
Francis Ngannou next fight update
UFC president Dana White has other plans, saying Derrick Lewis is the next challenger for Ngannou.
Jones (26-1 MMA, 20-1 UFC) is the acclaimed light heavyweight champion who vacated his title last year with the intention to move up in class. But not only does White prefer that Lewis face Ngannou next, he has said he intends to have Miocic face the winner of the Ngannou-Lewis bout.
“I know he’s very skilled, very talented; I respect that,” Ngannou said of Jones. “But we are both men and we’re going to find out.”
After Ngannou’s impressive knockout victory of Miocic, White suggested Jones would be better off moving down a weight class, not up. Jones apparently has other plans, tweeting, “Show me the money,” after Ngannou started suggesting Jones as his next opponent.
–Field Level Media
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