Francis Ngannou would have been in line to face Jon "Bones" Jones if he was still connected with the UFC. Unfortunately, that all went up in smoke for the former heavyweight champion when he left the promotion.
Ngannou is now signed with the Professional Fighters League (PFL), further complicating any chance of seeing him clash with Jon Jones. A cross-promotion fight is possible, although there are complications tied to it.
That includes the fate of the UFC belt, assuming the 37-year-old mixed martial artist stuns "Bones." The idea alone is something that would concern UFC president Dana White.
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However, Ngannou's latest take could mellow down things a bit. Speaking on a recent episode of "The Joe Rogan Experience," the former UFC champion says he is not interested in the UFC title and just wants to fight Jon Jones.
"I wouldn't care if it was a fight without a title. In my mind, I don't need a UFC title. That fight is bigger than a title. The fight is bigger than a title. Deep inside me, I still have a little bit of hope, even though I know it's going to be hard. But, you never know," Ngannou said via USA Today.
For now, Ngannou and Jones are headed in different paths.
Francis Ngannou is set to face Tyson Fury in a boxing match on October 28 in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, ESPN reported.
On the other end, Jones is set to make his first UFC title defense against Stipe Miocic at UFC 295 on November 11 at Madison Square Garden, per the UFC official website via Bleacher Report.
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