Tag: Francis Ngannou

Tom Aspinall: UFC champion Jon Jones ducking me and Francis Ngannou, ‘conning the public’

Tom Aspinall accuses UFC heavyweight champion Jon Jones of avoiding two major challenges in his career.

[autotag]Tom Aspinall[/autotag] accuses UFC heavyweight champion [autotag]Jon Jones[/autotag] of avoiding two major challenges in his career.

First one being himself, as it’s been over 500 days that Aspinall (15-3 MMA, 8-1 UFC) has held the interim heavyweight title without getting the opportunity to unify it against Jones. The other fighter Aspinall is referring to is former UFC heavyweight champion [autotag]Francis Ngannou[/autotag], who parted ways with the promotion during Jones’ three-year transition from light heavyweight to heavyweight.

Ngannou is still willing to fight Jones (28-1 MMA, 22-1 UFC), but as long as he’s under the PFL banner, it’s highly unlikely to happen. Speaking on the IMPAULSIVE podcast, Aspinall was asked if he thinks Jones is scared to fight him.

“Yes, absolutely (he’s scared),” Aspinall said. “The thing with Jon: Jon is conning the public, man. I’m not disputing that he’s an amazing fighter. I think the fact that he didn’t want to fight (Francis) Ngannou for three years, and now he doesn’t want to fight me over a year, and just the way he manipulates the media and the public is super smart.

“I’m not taking anything away from him. But do I think he’s scared to take the tough fights at this stage in his career? Absolutely. I can (understand it). I respect it. But if you’re going to ask me the straight-up question, ‘Is Jon Jones afraid to fight me?’ The honest answer would be yes.”

While in attendance for Saturday’s UFC Fight Night 255 event at The O2 in London, Aspinall had a positive meeting with UFC CEO Dana White and chief business officer of the UFC Hunter Campbell. He is more confident than ever that the fight with Jones happens.

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Overreaction Time: Israel Adesnya’s downfall, Dana White vs. Jon Jones builds, UFC 312, more!

Check out the latest episode of “Overreaction Time” examining Israel Adesanya’s skid, Bryce Mitchell’s repulsive remarks, and more.

The time for overreacting is here!

Check out the latest episode of “Overreaction Time” at noon ET/9 a.m. PT as host Simon Samano and MMA Junkie Radio reporter Nolan King debate these “overreactions” on the following topics in mixed martial arts:

  • After UFC Saudia Arabia, [autotag]Israel Adesanya[/autotag] is cooked as a middleweight title contender.
  • [autotag]Dana White[/autotag] condemning [autotag]Bryce Mitchell[/autotag]’s pro-Hitler rant without action was NOT ENOUGH.
  • Newsflash: We’re not getting [autotag]Jon Jones[/autotag] vs. [autotag]Tom Aspinall[/autotag] this year.
  • [autotag]Ben Rothwell[/autotag] actually is the most compelling option for [autotag]Francis Ngannou[/autotag]’s next fight.
  • UFC 312: [autotag]Tatiana Suarez[/autotag] is more likely than [autotag]Sean Strickland [/autotag]to be crowned “And New.”

Watch the full episode in the video above.

Video: Francis Ngannou shows up to support Israel Adesanya at UFC Saudi Arabia

Watch Francis Ngannou show up to Saudi Arabia in support of Israel Adesanya’s return at UFC Fight Night 250.

The African bond between former UFC champions [autotag]Israel Adesanya[/autotag] and [autotag]Francis Ngannou[/autotag] remains strong.

Despite not being under the same banner anymore, Ngannou, ex-UFC heavyweight champion, showed up to Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, to support his friend Adesanya ahead of his main event bout against Nassourdine Imavov at UFC Fight Night 250 (ESPN+), which takes place Saturday at ANB Arena.

Ngannou and Adesanya, as well as Kamaru Usman, have publicly shown a lot of support for each other. The three are from Africa and simultaneously reigned as UFC champions just a few years back.

You can watch their meet in Riyadh in the video above.

Ngannou had an unceremonious exit from the UFC in 2023 and now finds himself boxing and fighting for rival MMA promotion PFL. He most recently put away 2023 PFL season winner Renan Ferreira in the first round this past October.

Adesanya (24-4 MMA, 13-4 UFC) lost the UFC middleweight title in 2023 and was submitted in his subsequent fight trying to recapture the belt. He’s looking to snap out of a two-fight losing skid against Imavov (15-4 MMA, 7-2 UFC).

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For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC Fight Night 250.

MMA Junkie’s 2024 Comeback Fighter of the Year: Francis Ngannou

Persevering through tragedy, changing brands, and a boxing side mission, Francis Ngannou returned to MMA with a bang in 2024.

The road back to MMA was long and winding for [autotag]Francis Ngannou[/autotag].

But when it was time to step back into the cage again, he did so with a bang. In what was his first fight in 34 months, Ngannou smashed the towering Rennan Ferreira in PFL: Battle of the Giants in October in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. He finished the fight with strikes at 3:32 of Round 1.

Ngannou’s win came in his first appearance since his UFC exit that was announced in January 2023. The split was highly-publicized with both Ngannou and UFC CEO Dana White standing firm on their ground.

Ngannou ultimately signed with PFL, which allowed him to take boxing matches. Ngannou first boxed then-heavyweight champion Tyson Fury in October 2023, and nearly shocked the world. However, it was Fury that won the split decision despite being knocked down. Many viewers disagreed with the judges.

Five months later in March, Ngannou re-entered the ring. Against Anthony Joshua, the outcome was more decisive. Joshua brutally folded Ngannou over backward with knockout blows in Round 2.

One month later, Ngannou announced on social media the death of his 15-month-old son, Kobe. Crushed, Ngannou later revealed the devastating incident nearly resulted in his retirement.

Instead, Ngannou decided retirement would do his son’s memory a disservice. He then accepted the long-awaited bout with Ferreira and ended it swiftly.

Through business and public drama to devastating losses both in and outside the cage, Ngannou was not deterred. He bounced back big in 2024, keeping his name in the discussion for who is the world’s best heavyweight.

Ngannou is the 2024 MMA Junkie Comeback Fighter of the Year.

Honorable mention: Youssef Zalal

Nov 2, 2024; Edmonton, Alberta, Canada; Jack Shore (red gloves) fights Youssef Zalal (blue gloves) in a featherweight bout during UFC Fight Night at Rogers Place. Mandatory Credit: Perry Nelson-Imagn Images

It’s hard enough to make it to the UFC once. It’s even harder to do it twice.

Not only did [autotag]Youssef Zalal[/autotag] do enough on the regional scene for matchmaker Sean Shelby to bring him back, he now sits on the cusp of a potential ranked matchup to start 2025.

Zalal was cut in 2022 after a 3-3-1 stint. After three MMA wins and two kickboxing wins outside the promotion, Zalal stepped into a short-notice opportunity opposite Billy Quarantillo in March 2024. He won the fight by second-round rear-naked choke.

The same submission hold won him his next fight in August. That time, Jarno Errens was the victim. To close the year, Zalal utilized an arm-triangle choke to tap Jack Shore and move him to 3-0 in an eight-month stretch.

Francis Ngannou reacts to Oleksandr Usyk’s championship rematch win over Tyson Fury

Francis Ngannou doesn’t entirely agree with the scorecards of Oleksandr Usyk vs. Tyson Fury 2.

[autotag]Francis Ngannou[/autotag] doesn’t entirely agree with the scorecards of [autotag]Oleksandr Usyk[/autotag] vs. [autotag]Tyson Fury[/autotag] 2.

Usyk retained his WBC, WBA and WBO world heavyweight titles when he defeated Fury by unanimous decision Saturday in Saudi Arabia. Usyk defeated Fury a second time after winning a split-decision in their first meeting seven months ago.

Ngannou is OK with Usyk getting his hand raised, but not as definitively as the scorecards reflected.

“The fight was pretty close. I would have scored the fight closer than that,” Ngannou said in an interview with Pro Boxing Fans. “Maybe Usyk could have still won. I mean, at the end of the fight, I wasn’t sure that anybody was a winner because anybody could have been a winner. From my scorecard, it was closer than that.”

All three judges scored it 116-112 for Usyk, but the AI scorecard had it 118-112 for Usyk, which Ngannou heavily disagrees with.

“No, no – AI might be intelligent, but AI doesn’t understand the sport properly,” Ngannou said. “It’s a man sport, it’s not a machine sport. I think AI, regardless of everything, is still a machine that operates automatically and scores based on some (things it can’t see). I don’t think AI has all the specific or the data to score a boxing match.”

Ngannou’s debut boxing match came in a controversial decision loss to Fury in October 2023, In his second appearance in the ring “The Predator” was finished by Anthony Joshua in a Round 2 knockout loss in March.

As for what’s next in boxing, Ngannou is still interested in avenging his loss to Fury.

“What I want to see now is Tyson Fury and Francis Ngannou,” Ngannou said. “That’s all what matters to me.”

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For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for Usyk vs. Fury 2.

Francis Ngannou still wants Tyson Fury rematch for next boxing match

Francis Ngannou is picking Tyson Fury to win Saturday despite admitting Oleksandr Usyk already “proved me wrong” in the first fight.

[autotag]Francis Ngannou[/autotag] will be rooting for [autotag]Tyson Fury[/autotag] to defeat Oleksandr Usyk on Saturday with hopes of setting up a rematch between them in 2025.

Former UFC heavyweight champion and current PFL Super Fight champion Ngannou still has a sour taste in his mouth stemming from his controversial split decision loss to Fury in October 2023.

Ngannou, among many others, felt like he was wronged by the judges on that night after he knocked Fury down and found much success. Since that fight, Ngannou went on to suffer a knockout loss to Anthony Joshua before returning to MMA with a first-round TKO of Renan Ferreira in October.

The next move for Ngannou is unclear, but he said boxing very much remains a priority.

“I’m not coming back because I never left – I’m still around,” Ngannou told Seconds Out. “What I do know for sure is that I want a rematch with Fury.”

The result of the anticipated rematch between Fury and Usyk could have an impact on what happens for Ngannou. If Fury loses, the path to booking that fight could potential open up for “The Predator.” But if Fury is victorious and avenges his loss to Usyk from earlier this year, then a trilogy bout could potentially come into play next year.

Although Fury losing might actually be the more ideal outcome for Ngannou, he said he expects his former opponent to get the win.

“Who do I think wins? I think Fury,” Ngannou said. “Not that I’m taking Usyk out. Much respect for Usyk for what he has done, and for their first fight. To be honest, he proved me wrong. I’ll admit that. I was wrong on that one. But I still go for Fury.”

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Video: Francis Ngannou takes down Manchester United keeper André Onana: ‘I demand a rematch’

Check out this fun moment at Old Trafford with Francis Ngannou and André Onana, two of Cameroon’s finest athletes.

What happens when a world heavyweight MMA champion takes on a world-class goalkeeper in a fight? It’s a question that doesn’t really need an answer, and luckily, [autotag]Francis Ngannou[/autotag] was just play fighting with Manchester United’s André Onana.

Ngannou linked up with fellow Cameroonian Onana at Old Trafford in Manchester, England, and the two squared up on the pitch with big smiles on their faces. Then Ngannou gave Onana a taste of what it would be like if Ngannou got a hold of him, and “The Predator” took down Onana with a trip and mounted him.

Onana, 28, stands 6-foot-3 and is not a small man. However, considering Ngannou just did a similar thing to a 6-foot-8 Renan Ferreira in his PFL debut, it’s certainly no surprise the heavyweight Superfights champion toyed with the Premier League keeper.

“I demand a rematch in a real ring! 🥊 Let’s settle this once and for all! @francisngannou,” Onana wrote in a caption on the video posted to Instagram.

Check out the cool moment between the two countrymen below:

https://www.instagram.com/reel/DC9_ex4IwVi/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link&igsh=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==

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Francis Ngannou responds to Jon Jones with clever call out for ‘the right fight’

While Jon Jones deals with his “haters,” Francis Ngannou took the opportunity to make another call out.

[autotag]Francis Ngannou[/autotag] and [autotag]Jon Jones[/autotag] may never actually cross paths inside the cage, but that hasn’t “The Predator” from hyping up the fantasy match.

PFL heavyweight superfights champ Ngannou (18-3) was once in a position to be able to face Jones (27-1 MMA, 21-1 UFC) when they were both in the UFC. Unfortunately, during Jones’ three-year transition from light heavyweight to heavyweight, Ngannou left the promotion to join the PFL after he could not come to terms on a new deal with the UFC.

Although they are now under different promotions and the UFC is unwilling to cross-promote, Ngannou and Jones have continued to discuss the potential fight, most famously during an impromptu faceoff last year at a PFL event in Atlanta.

Jones, the current UFC heavyweight champion, is coming off his first title defense at UFC 309, where he stopped Stipe Miocic. Leading into the fight and coming out of it, Jones has been labeled a “duck” for being dismissive of interim champion Tom Aspinall.

“Crazy how being called a ‘duck’ pays better than most of you Internet tough guys will make in a lifetime,” Jones wrote on X (formerly Twitter). Two fights in four years and still one of the biggest names in the sport? that’s not ducking, that’s winning. God’s blessings hit different, stay mad.”

Ngannou took the opportunity to reply to Jones’ message with a clever call out, keeping the conversation of the fantasy fight between the two alive.

“Blessings make haters uncomfortable, but they can’t change it,” Ngannou wrote on X. “There’s only one fight, the right fight that will multiply your blessings. #NgannouVSJones”

PFL execs Donn Davis and Peter Murray have often spoken supportively about a potential cross promotion fight between Ngannou and Jones, urging the UFC to play ball. UFC CEO Dana White has shut it down the idea, reiterating that business is not conducted in that manner for the Las Vegas-based promotion.

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Dan Hardy: Francis Ngannou ‘way more dangerous’ in MMA than boxing

Dan Hardy wants to see Francis Ngannou focus on MMA.

[autotag]Dan Hardy[/autotag] wants to see [autotag]Francis Ngannou[/autotag] focus on MMA.

Ngannou (18-3) claimed the inaugural superfight heavyweight title by knocking out Renan Ferreira (13-4) in the first round of the PFL: Battle of the Giants main event in October.

“The Predator” is still seeking mega fights in boxing, but Hardy thinks he’s better off in the cage. He sees the winner of Friday’s heavyweight tournament final between Denis Goltsov (35-8) and Oleg Popov (19-1) at the 2024 PFL Championships being his potential next opponent.

“I think it makes the most sense to me,” Hardy told MMA Junkie Radio. “You’ve got two guys here – two impressive Russian fighters that are both at different ends of their career. Goltsov has tried this path several times. He’s not been successful, but you can’t deny that he’s got the skills to beat everybody in the division – it’s just a case of him doing it successively on the way to $1 million. He’s probably got the best jab in the heavyweight division right now, and I feel like that could be a real problem for Popov in this fight.

“But, I also expect Popov to be durable physically and mentally. Fedor (Emelianenko) in his corner, he’s going to be telling him to get his head off the center line and come over the top and around the sides and keep working his wrestling game. Popov is on the longest win streak in the heavyweight division right now – 18 fights, 19 fights. If he’s able to come through this and beat Goltsov, that’s a clear contender in my opinion because of the impressive streak that he’s on as well as the fact that he will have just won the world championship for this year. It’s the one that makes the most sense.

“I think there are other options out there, but whatever Ngannou does, I would rather him do it in mixed martial arts because I think we see the best of him. He’s more free and just way more dangerous in mixed martial arts.”

Ngannou has laced up the boxing gloves twice. He knocked down Tyson Fury and pushed him to the limit in a controversial decision loss in October 2023. However, his second appearance was finished by Anthony Joshua in a Round 2 knockout loss in March.

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For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for 2024 PFL Championship.

Overreaction Time: On Conor McGregor’s new low, Jon Jones’ pound-for-pound status, more!

Check out the latest episode of “Overreaction Time” on Conor McGregor losing his sexual assault civil trial and much more.

The time for overreacting is here!

Check out the latest episode of “Overreaction Time” at noon ET/9 a.m. PT as host Simon Samano and MMA Junkie Radio host Brian “Goze” Garcia debate these “overreactions” on the following topics in mixed martial arts:

  • [autotag]Conor McGregor[/autotag] is a disgrace to MMA.
  • There’s no way [autotag]Jon Jones[/autotag] should be No. 1 pound-for-pound.
  • [autotag]Merab Dvalishvili[/autotag] vs.[autotag] Petr Yan next?[/autotag] It’s not crazy!
  • [autotag]Jamahal Hill[/autotag] better make a statement at UFC 311.
  • [autotag]Jake Paul[/autotag] vs. [autotag]Francis Ngannou[/autotag]? Get the f*** out of here!

Watch the full episode in the video above.