Following his successful return to MMA last month, it isn’t clear yet what Francis Ngannou’s next step will be. There was a lot of pressure and emotion surrounding his long awaited PFL debut against Renan Ferreira.
Not only was Ngannou coming off his first knockout loss where he was stopped by Anthony Joshua in his second boxing match, the former UFC heavyweight champion was motivated to return to competition in the memory of his late son Kobe. Getting his hand raised in the PFL by any means neccesary was his primary focus but after dominating Ferreira and finishing him in the first round, there isn’t a clear next challenge for him in MMA.
Even with a record of 0-2, there are still some big fights left for Ngannou in the boxing world and though it might not be on the same level as his fights with Tyson Fury or Joshua, a meeting with Deontay Wilder would still be a big draw even if both men are coming off of knockout losses in the ring.
Wilder was finished in the fifth round by Zhilei Zhang in June in what looked like could be the final outing of his 48-fight career. “The Bronze Bomber” recently revealed in an interview with TMZ that he’s working towards a return after taking some time off.
“The best is yet to come, I always say that. We’re still going, we’re still here, you know what I mean we just getting things together man. I’m just handling a lot of things, I had a lot of outside distractions that I had to get rid of.”
Wilder also spoke about the potential of facing Ngannou next time out, sending his potential opponent a message of support after the difficult year he has gone through.
“Even since I’ve been off and stuff like that, it’s been a lot of offers coming in, a lot of things, different countries and stuff like that and even with Francis, what’s up brother. I hope everything’s going good for you man and I’m sorry for your loss. I can only imagine what it’s like to lose a child man, I never hope to even feel that feeling of it but I wish, I hope life is going beautifully for you bro and yeah, that’s a conversation I’m still looking to getting in the mix and talk about.”
Continue Reading Deontay Wilder Welcomes Francis Ngannou Clash After Dismissing Retirement Calls at MMA News.
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We’re back for another day of the SB Nation UFC in-5 daily trivia game, and we’re switching to a system of a new article each day for the game.
We tried using a single article for the game, updated with the latest game each day, but it was creating a bit of an unwieldy experience in the comments. So, we’ll have the current day’s game plus the previous three days in each new article. That way, you can catch up if you miss a day.
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The goal of the game is to guess the correct random UFC fighter player with the help of up to five clues. We’ll mix in BOTH ACTIVE AND RETIRED FIGHTERS. It won’t be easy to figure it out in one or two guesses, but some of you might be able to nail it. It will be a mix of well-known players and some “that guys” that we haven’t thought of in some time. The game will appear in slot #3 of the MMA Fighting layout each morning, with occasional movement later in the day.
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With the minor exception of UFC CEO Dana White, it feels like most people are tired of Jon Jones’ s—t.
Last year, “Bones” tore his pec and was forced to withdraw from an already unnecessary title fight versus Stipe Miocic. Injuries happen, even to the best, so there’s no shame there. Chasing a big money fight — in this case, framed as a “legacy fight,” a term which didn’t exist until now — is annoying, but it’s hardly new behavior from UFC champions. We roll our eyes at Michael Bisping chasing a Dan Henderson rematch or Colby Covington’s third undeserved title shot, but that’s part of the sports-entertainment business.
Blatant ducking is not, and it’s hard to describe what Jon Jones is doing in regards to Tom Aspinall as anything else. Aspinall is the most exciting Heavyweight contender since Francis Ngannou burst onto the scene (Jones kind of ducked him too, but it’s more complicated), and he’s proven himself great every step of the way. A well-rounded Heavyweight in his prime with real deal knockout power, Aspinall is EXACTLY the type of fighter that fans wanted to see Jones face once he finally left 205-pounds.
Aspinall has a strong argument as the best Heavyweight in the world right now. Certainly, he has a better argument that Jones. I’m not going to talk bad about Ciryl Gane, as that was a legitimately excellent victory for “Bones” and made him a worthy champion back in March 2023. You are not going to convince me that any single win, however, is greater than Aspinall’s impressive body of work, filled to the brim with brutal and quick stoppages.
Jones is utterly dismissive of Aspinall’s case, and it’s infuriating. It’s bold-faced ducking. Retiring at the top would totally be acceptable, but now Jones is talking about Alex Pereira instead of Aspinall? It’s genuinely gross.
Honestly, my original intent for this article was to write a full-on incendiary hit piece on Jon Jones. That’s far from my go-to style, but Jones is a bad person and ducking is a deadly sin in combat sports, so why not? The only thing holding me back is actually just how troll-like and unlikable Jones is acting in the recent Kevin Iole interview.
There are two possible conclusions watching the interview: Jones is delusional in his dismissal of what fans want and what Aspinall has achieved, or “Bones” is negotiating. He’s at the end of his career, and he wants a massive paycheck. If that’s the case, what better way to drive up demand than aggravate the entire fan base and get them barking for an Aspinall match up?
If that’s the plan, it’s a good one. Assuming Jones beats up the aged Miocic as most everyone expects, a brief retirement — or even just a hinted one — could really turn Jones vs. Aspinall from a highly anticipated title fight to one of the biggest pay-per-views (PPVs) headliners of the last half-decade.
That’s not to say the game Jones is (possibly) playing is without risk. Beyond all else, Jones is a man obsessed with his legacy. It is so clearly precious to him. The man is highly sensitive to perceived slights, real or usually imagined. Even after 14 years of dominance, he’s talking about doubters like there are any left. At no point did you ever hear Georges St. Pierre, Fedor Emelianenko, or Anderson Silva barking nonstop about the pound-for-pound rankings. Making his insecurity even more absurd is the simple fact that Jones probably does have the best argument for all-time greatest … assuming you’re willing to overlook some spicy drug tests, at least.
Regardless, it’s very clear that Jones’ legacy is of the utmost importance with him. If he continues to duck Aspinall while make outlandish statements about him then doesn’t actually fight him, that’s an absolute black mark on his legacy. It’s something people will remember, an easy counter argument to anyone who says Jon Jones is the best fighter of all the time.
If that’s the case, why was he scared of Tommy Aspinall?
Remember that MMAmania.com will deliver LIVE round-by-round, blow-by-blow coverage of the entire UFC 309 fight card right here, starting with the early ESPN+ “Prelims” matches online, which are scheduled to begin at 6 p.m. ET (simulcast on ESPNews at 8 p.m. ET), before the pay-per-view (PPV) main card start time at 10 p.m. ET (also on ESPN+).
To check out the latest and greatest UFC 309: “Jones vs. Miocic” news and notes be sure to hit up our comprehensive event archive right here.
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