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The team of Francis Ngannou is holding out hope for a showdown with Jon Jones.
Ngannou is the reigning UFC Heavyweight Champion. Ciryl Gane recently captured the interim gold. The two titans are seemingly due for a title unification bout sometime in the future.
With that said, team Ngannou longs for the matchup with Jones, who is a former UFC Light Heavyweight Champion. Here’s what Ngannou’s coach, Eric Nicksick, told Ariel Helwani on MMAFighting‘s The MMA Hour.
“I always think there’s a chance, and you absolutely are right — I think that’s the fight to make. And I would hate to miss out on that opportunity between Francis and Jon. It kind of reminds me of when [Manny] Pacquiao and Floyd [Mayweather] were supposed to fight the first time and then Pacquiao went and got starched or something happened, right? And then the luster wore away. So I’m hoping that that’s the fight that happens, because honestly, in my mind I feel that Jon Jones is the pound-for-pound GOAT. And as a coach and as a competitor, I want to compete against the best.
“I have the utmost respect for Jon and Brandon Gibson and that team over at JacksonWink, but this is what we want to do — we want to compete and we’re going to compete against the best available. And I think Ciryl has put his name in that hat, but that’s the fight I think the fans and the media and everybody wants to make, is Jon and Francis.”
UFC President Dana White says he isn’t focused on Jones until 2022. “Bones” has been taking time off to bulk up and ensure he leaves no stone unturned before making his heavyweight debut. Jones has also had some issues with the UFC brass over pay.
Ngannou, himself, hasn’t exactly been on the same page with the UFC as of late. He has expressed his dismay over an interim UFC heavyweight title match being put in place.