Video – Jon Jones, Francis Ngannou share tense face off at PFL 5: ‘You don’t want no smoke’
In the midst of a longstanding rivalry, undisputed UFC heavyweight champion, Jon Jones and former promotional champion, Francis Ngannou shared a hugely tense staredown at PFL 5 last night – with the duo discussing their miscued fight under the banner of the Dana White-led organization.
Jones, a former undisputed light heavyweight champion and current undisputed heavyweight gold holder, most recently headlined UFC 285 back in March, submitting common-foe, former interim champion, Ciryl Gane in a one-sided first round guillotine choke, clinching the vacant heavyweight crown.
As for Ngannou, the Cameroonian has been sidelined since he headlined UFC 270 himself back in January of last year, defeating Gane also, unifying the division titles in a unanimous decision triumph.
Departing the UFC following the completion of his contractual obligations with the promotion, Ngannou has since inked a multi-fight deal with the PFL, ahead of an expected return to mixed martial arts competition in March of next year.
With both Jon Jones and Francis Ngannou under the same roof last night at PFL 5 – Jones, who was cornering his teammate and event headliner, Maurice Greene, shared a face-off with the Batié native, with the pair discussing their failed pairing.
Jon Jones issues warning to ex-UFC champion, Francis Ngannou
Issuing a warning to Ngannou, Jon Jones told the former “you don’t want no smoke”, before claiming “it’s going to take more than a year” for the former heavyweight champion to improve his grappling ability to a sufficient level.
When questioned where he was for three years as Ngannou claimed he had offered to fight him on multiple occasions, Jones replied “I had to get enough size to kick your ass.” (H/T MMA Fighting)
A much clamored for fight between the duo, Jones has been touted to return to the Octagon at UFC 295 in November against either former champion, Stipe Miocic, or the surging, Sergei Pavlovich at Madison Square Garden, before calling time on his professional mixed martial arts career.
