UFC heavyweight Francis Ngannou has been taking tips from boxing icon Mike Tyson after light heavyweight ruler Jon Jones urged bosses to “send the deal” for him to face the Cameroonian powerhouse.
During Wednesday’s UFC Jacksonville co-main event between Ben Rothwell and Ovince Saint Preux, 205lbs king Jones couldn’t help but ponder the possibility of a move up to the heavyweight division.
The light heavyweight champ wrote on social media that he could picture himself transitioning to heavyweight, just as Saint Preux was doing for the first time in his career.
Jones, who defeated Saint Preux four years ago to win an interim light heavyweight title, tweeted that the possibility of fighting at heavyweight became “so much more real to me” and that “I was visualizing myself as Saint Preux that whole fight.”
Man it was weird seeing OSP fight at heavyweight, made it seem so much more real for me. Especially knowing he was at 240lbs. With a little more cardio, he would’ve been ? I was visualizing myself as him that whole fight
Shortly after, however, ‘Bones’ got into an interesting exchange with heavyweight knockout artist Francis Ngannou – who is fresh off a 20-second destruction of the previously unbeaten Jairzinho Rozenstuik at UFC 249 last weekend.
The two exchanged some minor trash talk on social media late Wednesday night, but now Jones says he’s done talking and is ready for action.
Heavyweight contender Francis Ngannou noticed Jones’s comment and asked: “How real it seemed to you my friend?”
Jones appeared to take that tweet as a challenge and he responded to Ngannou in kind.
He replied: “Seemed so real Francis, all that power means nothing when your haymakers are too slow.”
Jones then followed up with a tweet where he expressed his interest in a “big money fight” with ‘The Predator’, claiming that he has “nothing else to prove as a light heavyweight.”
“If you guys think I wouldn’t take this fight you’re insane,” Jones wrote in reference to Ngannou.
“I have absolutely nothing else to prove as a light heavyweight.
“I’d love that big money fight right around now. Send the deal.”
Who would you guys consider the quicker and more technical striker Thiago Santos or Francis? If you guys think I wouldn’t take this fight you’re insane. I have absolutely nothing else to prove as a light heavyweight. I’d love that big money fight right around now. Send the deal
Ngannou, who is one of the most feared punchers in the sport, responded to Jones by signaling his mutual interest in the matchup.
“If you think you can handle my technique level that’s fine, but I agree with you that you don’t have anything to prove in the light heavyweight division and that this should be for bags,” he said.
If you think you can handle my technique level that’s fine ?♂️ but I agree with you that you don’t have anything to prove in LHW division and that this should be for bags ??????? https://t.co/PtD04F3aSl
Ngannou crushed Jairzinho Rozenstruik with a sledgehammer of a left hand within just 20 seconds of the first round of their bout in Florida last weekend.
And Jones, who has long teased a move to heavyweight, hasn’t fought since he beat Dominick Reyes via unanimous decision to retain his light heavyweight title at UFC 247.
In recent footage, Ngannou was handed a masterclass on how to fight by former boxing heavyweight champion Mike Tyson — who is ramping up his own training for a return to the ring aged 53.
Prime Tyson & Prime Ngannou – who hits harder? ? (via @Francis_Ngannou) pic.twitter.com/H6jAp3R9po
Even now, despite being ranked the UFC’s number two contender, Ngannou insists his goal cannot be achieved until he competes in the boxing ring and asked Tyson if he will train him for the switch of fighting codes.
The 33-year-old’s dream was to become a world champion boxer, but said he transitioned to MMA because it was a “quicker way to make money.”
He said on Tyson’s podcast: “I’ve been thinking this, it will be great if one day when I make my boxing debut, I want you in my corner.
“I wanna get your work, everything you know, and you know a lot, you’re like a library.”
