Francis Ngannou shocked the world in his fight against Tyson Fury on October 28th. The fight was marketed as ‘The Battle of the Baddest’. Ngannou, the former UFC heavyweight champion, was considered a heavy underdog in the matchup due to his lack of professional boxing experience. Fury, the WBC and lineal heavyweight champion, was expected to walk through Ngannou in the fight. But ‘The Predator’ silenced the naysayers when he knocked Fury down and controlled the center of the ring. Regardless, Ngannou lost the fight via split decision.

Ngannou’s impressive performance has caused fans to speculate how he would fare against the current UFC heavyweight champion, Jon Jones. The calls for the dream matchup from the fans have increased again after Ngannou’s showing against Fury. But Chael Sonnen recently broke down the reasons why fans would like to see the clash of the two titans. And his remarks provide an interesting insight into the minds of fight fans!

Chael Sonnen reveals the reason why fans want to see Francis Ngannou vs. Jon Jones 

Francis Ngannou left the UFC due to contract disputes last year. His last appearance for the promotion was at UFC 270 where he defended his heavyweight title against Ciryl Gane. Following the fight, Ngannou engaged in contract negotiations with the UFC. However, the two parties could not reach an agreement and Ngannou was released from the promotion. He later revealed that issues with the terms of his contract, freedom to pursue boxing fights, and compensation, were some of the reasons why he chose to exit the promotion.

Both Ngannou and Jones have traded remarks online in the past. Both men have also claimed that they would be willing to fight each other. But Chael Sonnen, in a video on his YouTube channel, recently broke down why fans are captivated by this matchup.

Sonnen questions the fans’ desire to witness a Francis Ngannou vs. Jon Jones MMA match. He points out that, “Francis was 0 and 0 a week ago in the sport of boxing and he’s 0 and 1 now, that’s true. That really happened, and that led you to the conclusion that Francis could knock out Jon Jones, right? Yes, it did, yes it did.”

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He points out that while Francis recently lost his first boxing match, some assume he can defeat Jon Jones. Sonnen suggests that this desire might stem from the hope of seeing Jon Jones lose. He stated, “Okay, so now you want to see it but what you’re really saying is you want to see Jon Jones get beat, ultimately that’s what you’re saying.”

Sonnen also raises the idea that even if Ngannou continues to win, eventually, people will tune in to watch him lose, as that is the nature of the sport. Ngannou’s exit left the UFC heavyweight title vacant. And Jon Jones moved up from light-heavyweight to claim the title at UFC 285, also against Gane. But since Ngannou never lost the title in the cage, fans still consider him the lineal UFC heavyweight champion. And his coach appears to believe that they should set up the Jon Jones fight!

Ngannou’s coach wants to see who the real ‘Baddest man on the planet’ is

The dream of a Jon Jones vs. Francis Ngannou showdown may not be so far-fetched, as Ngannou’s coach, Eric Nicksick, shared his hopes for the bout on The MMA Hour. Both fighters have expressed interest in this bout. Despite initial obstacles and Ngannou’s recent foray into boxing against Tyson Fury, the idea of this matchup is still alive according to Nicksick.

Nicksick remains eager for the Jon Jones fight, as he believes it’s a chance to determine the “Baddest man on the planet.” Nicksick claimed. “Both sides can make that happen if they really want to. Set your egos aside…let’s give what the fans want and let’s get Jon and Francis…”

While co-promotions aren’t common in the UFC, they have occurred in the past, as seen with Chuck Liddell’s PRIDE FC appearance and the Floyd Mayweather vs. Conor McGregor bout. Nicksick suggests that if the UFC collaborates with the Professional Fighters League (PFL), this dream fight can become a reality, maybe even at the Allegiant Stadium.

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This collaboration could benefit all parties involved, including fans, fighters, promoters, and even the UFC itself, which has already missed out on a share of Ngannou’s lucrative boxing venture.

Do you think we’ll get to see Jon Jones and Francis Ngannou fight each other in the future? Share your thoughts in the comments below! 

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