Francis Ngannou: Jon Jones ‘Finds Himself a Better Battle on Twitter Than in the Octagon’

While it wasn’t surprising to see Jon Jones weigh in on the UFC 270 headliner via social media, reigning heavyweight king Francis Ngannou isn’t holding his breath regarding a potential fight with the former 205-pound champion.

“If this is the Apex of heavyweight fighting, I’m excited about it,” Jones wrote following Ngannou’s unanimous decision win over Ciryl Gane on Jan. 22. “Got some more records to break.”

If this is the Apex of heavyweight fighting, I’m excited about it. Got some more records to break

— BONY (@JonnyBones) January 23, 2022

Jones, of course, hasn’t fought since February 2020, when he edged Dominick Reyes in a light heavyweight title defense at UFC 247. In the meantime, “Bones” has often mused about his long-awaited heavyweight debut, but thus far, nothing has come to fruition.

That fact isn’t lost on Ngannou, who has been linked to a mega-fight with Jones since before he won the heavyweight title. “The Predator” is skeptical that a date with Jones in the Octagon will ever arrive.

“I think the first thing we have to know is if Jon Jones is going to fight or not,” Ngannou said on "IT'S TIME" with Bruce Buffer podcast. “Because actually, he finds himself a better battle on Twitter than in the Octagon.”

Ngannou’s own status with the Las Vegas-based promotion remains in question, as he fought out his existing contract at UFC 270 and seems willing to wait out the next year until his champion’s clause expires. Even if he comes to terms with the UFC, Ngannou is expected to be sidelined for a lenghty period of time as he recovers from knee surgery.

After fighting just once per year for the past three years, Ngannou is well aware that the heavyweight division can be on hold for significant periods of time. At least in that regard, the wait won’t be an issue for a hypothetical Ngannou-Jones showdown.

“The past has shown that in the heavyweight division, they can wait for a year for a title defense,” Ngannou said. “We’ve been having one title defense [per year] in the heavyweight division for a long time, so I don’t think that’s the issue.”