Francis Ngannou can basically handpick his next challenger after stunning the world by taking lineal heavyweight champ Tyson Fury to a split choice in his expert boxing launching, however there’s most likely one name that stays out of reach.
UFC heavyweight champ Jon Jones
Ngannou and Jones danced around a battle with one another for the much better part of 2 years, however they never ever really got to complete. Time off, injuries, and agreement settlements avoided the battle from taking place before Ngannou cut ties with the UFC as a totally free representative so he might pursue his boxing match with Fury, along with a profitable brand-new offer with the PFL.
While Ngannou’s choices are plenty today, his head coach Eric Nicksick still dreams about a world where he can lastly get “The Predator” prepared for a battle with probably the best combined martial artist of all-time.
“In a best world, for me, I still desire that Jon Jones battle,” Nicksick stated Wednesday on The MMA Hour“Hell yeah, I do. Even if I wish to complete versus the very best and I believe Jon is the very best. I do not desire anymore guesses about who is the baddest guy in the world. Let’s run it. Let’s do it.”
As much as Nicksick may desire the battle, reserving Ngannou versus Jones today would need the UFC to co-promote together with the PFL. It’s a relocation the company has actually shot down at almost every turn beyond the 2017 boxing match in between UFC super star Conor McGregor and Floyd Mayweather.
The UFC likewise does not have monetary requirement to co-promote with anyone thanks the business generating record earnings and income over the previous 2 years, not to point out an approaching broadcast rights offer that might be among the wealthiest in sports.
Still, Nicksick would enjoy to see the UFC and PFL discover a method to interact, if just as soon as, to lastly create a dream battle that would be even larger now after Ngannou’s efficiency versus Fury.
“You can make that take place,” Nicksick stated. “Both sides can make that occur if they actually wished to. Set your egos aside, let’s get Allegiant Stadium [in Las Vegas]let’s offer what the fans desire and let’s get Jon and Francis and let’s see who the baddest male in the world is.
“I wish to contend versus the very best. I’ve stated that time and time once again. It’s no disrespect to Jon. I believe he’s the very best to ever do it, however I desire that chance to coach versus him and I desire that chance to go beat the guy.”
Ngannou left the UFC as heavyweight champ, which led to the promo reserving a brand-new battle in between Jones and Ciryl Gane with an uninhabited title up for grabs. The method Nicksick sees it, getting Ngannou back for a battle with Jones now would just work as a benefit for the UFC after losing him in complimentary firm.
“I take a look at it like this– if you have [Shohei] Ohtani and let him stroll totally free, you do not get anything out of it,” Nicksick described. “They didn’t get anything back from letting the baddest male on earth leave. Absolutely nothing. They didn’t go on and place on a superfight. They didn’t do anything. They simply let him stroll totally free. I believe now can sort of right that incorrect and provide yourself the chance and cross-promote. Do a PFL-UFC and let’s put the baddest male on earth up versus the other one. Let’s figure it out. Let’s do it at Allegiant Stadium, let’s offer the location out. Let’s offer all these pay-per-view buys.
“Everybody wins at the end of the day. Everyone wins. The fans win. The fighters win. The promoters win. Perhaps even the UFC due to the fact that take a look at in this manner, Francis certainly is sort of making them consume their words. He left totally free and he’s heading out and doing his thing. At the end of the day, that’s what we desired. We wished to box and do it under the Zuffa banner and co-promote. I believe anything’s possible.”
While it stays to be seen if the UFC would ever think about a co-promotion with anyone, much less a competing MMA company, Nicksick hopes the 2 sides might discover commonalities for the higher good.
“I believe Dana [White] and the UFC are clever business people,” Nicksick stated. “If business is right, the logistics are right, I believe you set your ego aside and simply make it take place.”
