Francis Ngannou has set his sights on a fight with Jon Jones! The two titans of MMA recently left the internet ablaze with an interesting exchange. What was it? ‘Bones’, the current UFC undisputed heavyweight champion put up a post to address the ‘ducking’ claims being thrown his way by the fans online. The remarks stem from his reluctance to face Tom Aspinall, the current UFC interim heavyweight champion, in a title unification bout.

On his X account, Jones stated, “Crazy how being called a ‘duck’ pays better than most of you Internet tough guys will make in a lifetime. 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, the former UFC heavyweight champion turned PFL sensation, responded with a reply aimed directly at ‘Bones’. ‘The Predator’ fired off with, “Blessings make haters uncomfortable, but they can’t change it. There’s only one fight, the right fight that will multiply your blessings. #NgannouVsJones”

The prospect of Ngannou and Jones stepping into the cage is a dream fight for many. But the former UFC star is tied to his PFL contract for now, and Jones is busy fielding other potential challengers, even hinting that he would vacate his title before officially retiring. As such, fans took to social media to share their thoughts on this matchup that has the potential to be one of the biggest fights in the MMA sphere. Here’s a look at what the fans had to say!

Jon Jones gets called out by Francis Ngannou leaving fans in a frenzy online 

Fans speculated how “cool” the crossover fight would be between two heavyweight champions from different organizations. While there was a possibility of the two clashing during their time in the UFC, unfortunately, Francis Ngannou‘s issues with the promotion led him to exit the UFC before the matchup could materialize. Yet, with the jabs being thrown online, it proves the clash still has the capacity to capture the imagination of the fans.

“Would be pretty cool to see a crossover fight. UFC vs PFL Heavyweight Champion”

Other fans had a different perspective on the situation. They pointed out that it would be a monumental set-back for the PFL if Ngannou chooses to return to the UFC once his contract expires. According to a report by John Nash, Ngannou’s PFL contract currently is for “2-3 fights” and also has a “No champions clause or other extensions”, which adds another layer of intrigue to his call-out of Jon Jones for a fight.

“Yoo Ngannou’s contract ends next year, don’t tell me he is going to bankrupt PFL and then come back to UFC, that would be diabolical”

But not everyone shared the enthusiasm as one fan pointed out that despite their support for Francis Ngannou, he was unable to secure the fight while in the UFC and it’s even more difficult for the bout to materialize now that he’s in the PFL. However, in a recent interview ‘The Predator’ revealed, “The only guy standing in the way of that fight is Dana White, I want the Jon Jones fight. I’m down for the fight. Jones is down for the fight.”

“I don’t know why he bothers. I love Francis and since he’s left ufc it’s been a journey but why keep talking jon when not in ufc he couldn’t even make the fight when he was there”

As such, the fans set their sights on UFC CEO Dana White to demand the matchup. At the recent PFL World Championships 2024, CEO Peter Murray also put the UFC boss under the spotlight. In a response to a question about cross-promotional bouts becoming a reality, Murray stated, “Yeah, I mean we’re supportive of it. I mean the fighters want the fight, Jon Jones wants the fight, Francis wants the fight, we want the fight. Our partners here at Saudi want the fight and so it really comes down to – does the UFC want to step up to it or not?”

“Dana…u better give us this fight”

But what about Ngannou facing off against Tom Aspinall if Jones vacates the title and retires? The fans claimed that Aspinall doesn’t have a shot against ‘The Predator’. Before leaving the UFC, Ngannou was on a 6-fight win streak and had walked through names like Cain Velasquez, Stipe Miocic and Ciryl Gane. Could he do the same to the surging Aspinall? What do you think?

“Tom wouldn’t even beat Francis and that’s a fact”

In conclusion, fans are clearly invested in the prospect of a Jones vs Ngannou bout, with opinions ranging from hopeful speculation to frustrated resignation. Still, the callouts and social media jabs prove one thing, this matchup has captured the collective imagination like few others.  The question now is, will MMA’s ultimate “right fight” ever make the leap from fantasy to reality? Or will it remain a tantalizing “what if” in the history books?  Let us know your thoughts in the comments below