The Thanksgiving vacation weekend has been a lightweight one for the game of MMA by way of fights happening. Apart from the PFL World Championships happening Friday night time in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, it’s been a sluggish few days. Whereas most of America was sitting down to interrupt bread on the dinner desk, the UFC Heavyweight Champion was on X (previously Twitter) to offer thanks on the vacation.
Loopy how being referred to as a ‘duck’ pays higher than most of you Web powerful guys will make in a lifetime. Two fights in 4 years and nonetheless one of many largest names within the sport? That’s not ducking, that’s profitable. God’s blessings hit completely different, keep mad.
— Jonny Meat (@JonnyBones) November 29, 2024
Within the aftermath of Jones sending Stipe Miocic (20-5 MMA, 14-5 UFC into retirement on the night time of Nov. 16 through the UFC 309 fundamental occasion from Madison Sq. Backyard in New York Metropolis, Jones has been accused by followers of avoiding fights towards high-profile adversaries. “Bones” (28-1, 1 NC MMA, 22-1, 1 NC UFC) was having none of it in his Thanksgiving Night time tweet.
“Two fights in 4 years and nonetheless one of many largest names within the sport?”, Jones contemplated on the social media platform. “That’s not ducking, that’s profitable. God’s blessings hit completely different, keep mad.”
Enter Francis Ngannou?
Friday, after the PFL MENA Championships in Saudi Arabia, PFL CEO Peter Murray mentioned the pact that the group and Francis Ngannou (18-3 MMA, 1-0 PFL) entered into earlier this yr. In the course of the PFL’s Oct. 19 Battle of The Giants pay-per-view, “The Predator” stopped Renan Ferreira (13-4, 3 NC MMA, 7-2, 3 NC PFL) by means of first-round knockout resulting from floor and pound pictures within the headlining affair.
“He’s simply an unbelievable human, an incredible fighter, and what an ideal companion,” started Murray in an interview with United Kingdom outlet TalkSport. “That battle towards Renan Ferreira, that was greater than a battle for him, he saved issues shifting after the extraordinary tragedy in his life, shedding his son, and that was Francis’ determination to come back again to the cage.”
Ngannou seems sport for a possible contest towards Jon Jones. Earlier on Saturday afternoon, Ngannou took to his Twitter account to answer to “Bones” in a quote tweet.
Blessings make haters uncomfortable, however they can not change it.There’s just one battle, the correct battle that can multiply your blessings.#NgannouVSJones https://t.co/7HhNDM4OD6
— Francis Ngannou (@francis_ngannou) November 30, 2024
Murray: “The Fighters Need the Struggle”
When requested about the potential for a Jon Jones vs. Francis Ngannou crossover battle, Murray laid down the gauntlet.
“Yeah, I imply we’re supportive of it,” he continued on Friday night. “The fighters need the battle, Jon Jones needs the battle, Francis [Ngannou] needs the battle, we would like the battle, our companions right here in Saudi need the battle. It actually comes right down to [a question of] does the UFC need to step as much as it or not? Interval.”
Therein lies the crux of the difficulty. Even thought Jones and Ngannou are wanting to sq. off towards each other in a possible tremendous battle, Dana White‘s promotion is the one and solely impediment right here.
UFC’s Stubbornness May Preserve This Struggle From Changing into Actuality
Again in 2017, the UFC teamed up with Mayweather Promotions, enabling Conor McGregor to sq. off towards boxing stalwart Floyd Mayweather in the principle occasion of a pay-per-view stay from T-Cell Enviornment in Las Vegas. Mayweather bested McGregor within the highly-publicized battle by means of Tenth-round TKO.
Given the truth that this contest in the summertime of 2017 was a co-promoted occasion between the UFC and Mayweather Promotions, Dana White’s group acquired a share of the monies that the cardboard grossed that night. On the time of the battle between McGregor and Mayweather, the previous was arguably the largest attraction within the sport of MMA.
Mayweather left retirement behind to place an undefeated 49-0 report in danger to face McGregor that summer season night time and. regardless of his controversies away from the ring, stays a boxing legend. On the subject of a possible tremendous battle between Ngannou and Jones, the UFC will, possibly, not collaborate with the PFL on the battle.
Ngannou break up with the UFC on the outset of 2023 with the expiry of his cope with the promotion, 12 months after sustaining a knee damage throughout UFC 270 versus Ciryl Gane. If Dana White’s feedback from October are any indication, the injuries haven’t healed.
“No one needs to battle within the (expletive deleted) PFL aside from Francis,” White stated.
