Before a potential Jon Jones vs. Tom Aspinall became the most-demanded fight in the sport, there was the prospect of ‘Bones’ competing against Francis Ngannou. UFC fans (and even Dana White), after all, were accusing Jones of dodging ‘The Predator’ before they started accusing him of dodging Aspinall. And for very similar reasons.

Jones, the ‘undisputed’ heavyweight champion of course, is gearing up to face Stipe Miocic at UFC 309 in November. And this is going down despite there being an interim champ in the shape of Tom Aspinall calling for a unification bout. But ‘Bones’ has refused to face the Englishman, which has led many fans to speculate Jones is afraid of losing to Aspinall.

And while Jones had accused Ngannou of ‘running away’ to the PFL, during their run-in at an event in Saudi Arabia last year, ‘The Predator’ is far more liberal. After all, the former ‘baddest man on the planet’ has come out and defended ‘Bones’ for refusing to fight Aspinall, claiming that was Jones’ prerogative as champ. Instead, he blames someone else for the heavyweight unification bout not happening.

“You know it’s a situation that stuck in the corner for everyone, like I mean for both of them. Like who is obligated to have a fight that he wants- the champ or the interim champ, right?… I agree with you [that the interim champ should get a shot at the undisputed champ]. But again like [between] the interim champ and champ, who is in the position to pick?” Ngannou asked in a recent interview.

Unsurprisingly, Ngannou felt that the reason Jones-Aspinall isn’t happening is totally and completely on Dana White and the UFC’s shoulders. After all, if the promotion wanted Jones to fight Aspinall instead of Miocic, literally no one could have stopped them. Maybe Jones would have refused a clash against the interim champ, but then he would have been labeled as being scared of Aspinall.

“Because like the only reason why we get here is because the organization [the UFC] makes everything happen. They organize everything but now I don’t think the blame should be on either Jones or [Aspinall]. Everybody is claiming what’s right but the only thing is that nobody really wants to point is the organization, right? Because the organization, they could have booked [Jones vs Aspinall if they wanted],” ‘The Predator’ added. But for now, Ngannou is gearing up for a massive challenge as he sets up for his first MMA fight post-UFC exit.

Francis Ngannou to take on Brazilian dynamo Rennan Ferreira in Saudi Arabia

Francis Ngannou, as you know, left the UFC last year on pretty acrimonious terms. The Cameroon native, of course, soon signed with the UFC’s biggest competitor, the PFL but has yet to make his promotional debut in the Donn Davis-founded promotion. But that will change on October 19.

‘The Predator’ is gearing up to face PFL 2023 heavyweight champion Rennan Ferreira on a pay-per-view card next weekend at the Kingdom Arena in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. And what a cracking matchup it is between the two giants. Ngannou, of course, is perhaps the most intimidating fighter in the entire sport. His ungodly power combined with his legendary strength, and a physique that seems carved out of a single piece of stone are quite something to behold.

But the 6’8″, 264-pound Ferreira both outweighs Ngannou and is taller than him by about four inches. This means that ‘The Predator’s physicality will not be an advantage in this fight. On the contrary, the former UFC champ may have to find ways to deal with his upcoming opponent’s majestic physicality.

Not to mention the Brazilian has an even higher knockout rate than Ngannou, who is notorious for being a knockout merchant. Someone, it is safe to say, is getting knocked out in their fight. And those, of course, make for the best, most electrifying fights. What are your thoughts on Ngannou’s claims? And how do you see the Ngannou-Ferreira fight go? Drop your views in the comment box below!