“I would love to see somehow, someway that they can mend these fences and get back to competing in the UFC.” With that one sentence, Francis Ngannou’s coach, Eric Nicksick, practically shook the MMA world during his Home of Fight interview. For a moment, it felt like the UFC’s heavyweight division might return to its former glory, with ‘The Predator’ stepping back in. And just like that, the Jon Jones vs. Tom Aspinall drama picked up a new twist.

The heavyweight champ didn’t waste a second. As soon as the news broke, Jon Jones jumped on X to show his interest. Though he still dismissed the Brit as not being a true legacy fight. ‘Bones’ posted, “I’m hearing Francis Ngannou is still interested, now we’re talking. That’s a real super fight. A clash of champions, not just hype.” But Ngannou didn’t let that slide. The former champ fired back with a response that shattered Jones’s hopes. 

Francis Ngannou responds to Jon Jones’s callout for the superfight

Jon Jones might’ve believed that his face-off with Francis Ngannou at PFL 5 on June 16, 2023, could eventually turn into a full-fledged super fight. But the former UFC heavyweight champ shut that door, at least for now. Ngannou made it clear that the PFL remains his home, though he left a tiny window open for a potential bout in the future, if the stars somehow align. 

The ‘Predator’ wrote on X, “You take care of the UFC, I’ll take care of the PFL, and we’ll finally find out who’s the KING OF THE HEAVYWEIGHT”

Honestly, a showdown like that would mean more than just a battle in the cage. 

The real question now is whether the icy relationship between Dana White and the Cameroonian powerhouse ever calms enough to make the fight happen. And it’s not just the fans hoping for that reunion. Former middleweight champion Michael Bisping has also voiced his desire to see Ngannou back in the UFC, taking on the very best.

Michael Bisping wants to see Ngannou back in the UFC

Francis Ngannou was deemed the Mike Tyson of the UFC. He was ferocious with his punches and had highlights of putting his opponents’ lights out with his otherworldly power. The ‘Predator’ knocking out Alistair Overeem and Stipe Miocic will be in the history books forever. So, because of that, Michael Bisping wants to see him back, but he doubts if that would ever happen.

The Count said on his YouTube video, “Will Francis Ngannou come back to the UFC? I don’t know about that. There’s a lot of water under that bridge. But, you never know, crazier things have happened, and that would certainly do tremendous business, and personally, I’d like to see Ngannou back in the  UFC. In fact, it seems Jon Jones would be up for that match-up.”

Ngannou still has two fights left on his PFL contract, making a UFC return complex. Dana White has consistently opposed co-promotion, calling it a ‘massive obstacle’.

That’s true—Jones vs. Ngannou would be just as massive a matchup as the one with Aspinall. But if the former 265 lbs kingpin returns to the division after three years, would that automatically sideline the British interim champ? Well, it wouldn’t be a pretty scenario for the division or the promotion, and you can bet many wouldn’t be happy with that decision.

That being said, it still looks pretty unlikely that the UFC would sign Francis Ngannou again after their last split, especially since Dana White has mentioned previously that he won’t entertain the idea. However, nobody knows what the future holds. So, what do you think would happen if the Cameroonian juggernaut does make a comeback?