“They’re difficult to work with”- Chael Sonnen rules out possibility of Francis Ngannou, Jon Jones, heavyweight super fight
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Jon Jones- Chael Sonnen- Francis Ngannou
It’s quite a chance when we bet on the claim if the fans still want to see a mega-fight showdown between lightheavyweight great Jon Jones and UFC heavyweight champion Francis Ngannou, but MMA Legend Chael Sonnen seems sceptical based on if the deal can be made possible by the UFC. After a decade of dominance on the lightheavyweight division, Jones decided in 2020 that he would leave the division for once and for all since he was defeating competition in multiple phases and it quite began to seem uninteresting for him.
Jones, therefore, made a commitment to work on his physique in order to be compatible enough to compete amongst the heavyweights with the likes of Ciryl Gane, Stipe Miocic and Derrick Lewis reigning at the top of the division. But when Ngannou knocked out Miocic back in March 2021 to become the new UFC Heavyweight Champion, Jones had his eyes set and the fans immediately caught the potential superfight to demand for and make inside the UFC Ocgtagon.
Since then, talks did arise for quite awhile but with Jones taking his time and having issue with the pay, the fight didn’t came in dialogue ever again until UFC 270 when Ngannou made his first title defence and now it also seems likely that Jones would be coming for his heavyweight debut in 2022 itself.
But what is more in talks amongst MMA personalities like Ariel Helwani and Chael Sonnen himself is that Jones should return to make his heavyweight debut for an interim-heavyweight championship match rather against the former and the longest reigning UFC Heavyweight Champion Stipe Miocic. Jones versus Miocic was also in talks back in 2021 but Jones seemed uninterested in that fight.
Chael Sonnen suggests Ngannou and Jones to resolve their own issues first
Chael Sonnen on his Youtube channel explains why a fight between Jones and Ngannou is likely not to happen anytime soon and why the fans should move on as well for some other alternatives.
“I make it a very loose statement that they’re difficult to work with…“ says Sonnen “Big reward for 2 difficult guys, and one of them now is going to be twice as difficult, he’s going to be need to want to that much less. So there’s politics and there’s things moving in all sorts of directions but I can leave it at the most basic level, one is hurt, one is unlicensed.”
Sonnen is basically talking that Jones, because he hasn’t fought for couple of years, is unlicensed whereas Ngannou, who had a torn MCL and ACL on one of his knees going into his last fight against Ciryl Gane, needs time for surgery as well as recovery. So he suggests both the fighters make the first move required based on their time and condition.
What do you make of Ngannou and Jones being far from reality as of now as per Sonnen’s assessment? If not as of now or nearby time, when do you see this fight happening? Who do you think wins between the two?
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Abhai Singh Tanwar
(1386 Articles Published)