Jon Jones provided an interesting description of Francis Ngannou when the latter’s name was thrown out to him during a series of rapid-fire questions ahead of UFC 285.
The former light heavyweight king is set to finally return to the cage after three years away, and he’ll be taking on a new challenge by making his debut in the UFC’s heavyweight division. Rather than ease into the weight class by taking on a lower-ranked fighter, Jones will be going straight into a fight for the vacant heayweight title against former interim champion Ciryl Gane.
Gane is coming off of a Fight of the Night performance where he ended Tai Tuivasa’s winning streak by stopping “Bam Bam” in the third round. That bout was the 32-year-old’s first appearance since challenging Francis Ngannou for the heavyweight title in 2021, which was a fight that saw “The Predator” surprise fans and Gane alike by wrestling his way to a unanimous decision victory.
Jones Refers To Ngannou As A “Meat Blanket”
Ngannou was one of the proposed matchups for Jones’ heavyweight debut before the feared power-puncher parted ways with the UFC, which set up a fight between “Bones” and Gane for the heavyweight division’s vacant title.
Jones hasn’t been shy about his sharing his thoughts on Ngannou, and during a recent series of rapid-fire questions the former light heavyweight champion provided a hilarious way to describe the Cameroonian based on his last performance against Gane.
“Meat blanket”
Ngannou may not need to use his wrestling depending on what his next combat sports endeavor turns out to be, as the 36-year-old has repeatedly mentioned his desire to enter the boxing ring dating back to his time as UFC champion.
Considering how easily Ngannou was able to wrestle Gane, many fans are expecting the far more experienced Jones to use a similar style against “Bon Gamin”. There’s no guarantee how “Bones” will look in a new weight class after a significant layoff, but adding a second title to his résumé would only strengthen his case for being considered the greatest fighter in the history of MMA.
What’s your reaction to the “meat blanket” description Jones provided when given Ngannou’s name?