A potential matchup between Jon Jones and Francis Ngannou was in the works at the UFC but the Cameroonian has vacated the tile and has since signed with the PFL. Now the upcoming showdown between Francis Ngannou and Tyson Fury generates immense excitement within the world of combat sports.
With the fight date looming on the horizon, both fighters, Francis Ngannou and Tyson Fury have recently appeared on the “Complex” podcast. Ngannou, renowned for his explosive knockout prowess is now under the expert guidance of Mike Tyson, a former heavyweight boxing champion and one of the sport’s best power punchers.
Boxing legend Mike Tyson crowns Jon Jones as MMA’s undisputed GOAT
During their appearance on “Complex”, the duo was asked to mention the GOATs of different things ranging from animals to songs. When asked about the GOAT of MMA, Ngannou and Tyson were univocal in naming Jon “Bones” Jones. They credited Jon Jones for having a wonderful career even though he had demons outside the fight game.
Mike Tyson had also credited Francis Ngannou and Khabib Nurmagomedov as among the GOATs. But Tyson, who also had his share of controversy outside the boxing ring was happy for Jones who in 2023 came back from a three-year layoff to win the heavyweight title vacated by Ngannou. Jon Jones won the title at UFC 285 in a dominant submission victory over Ciryl Gane in the very first round.
Tyson was the youngest undisputed champion in boxing history when he won the title aged 20. Known for his ferocious punching power coupled with the Peek-a-boo style made famous by his coach and father figure, Cus D’Amato, Tyson wreaked havoc in the boxing world in the late 80s and early 90s of the twentieth century.
Jon Jones submits Ciryl Gane in UFC 285
Jon Jones is scheduled to defend his heavyweight title at UFC 295 in Madison Square Garden in November against the arguable GOAT of UFC heavyweight, Stipe Miocic. Jones won the heavyweight title vacated by Francis Ngannou by demolishing Ciryl Gane at UFC 285 in a fight where Gane’s wrestling deficiency was exploited by the arguable GOAT of MMA.
“Bones” held the light heavyweight title when he was just 23 years old. He is basically undefeated in professional MMA where the only L in his record is a Disqualification loss to Matt Hamill. During his light heavyweight reign, he defeated a string of legends in the division. To name a few, they include Daniel Cormier(x2), Glover Texeira, Anthony Johnson, Mauricio Rua, Lyoto Machida, and Ryan Bader.
UFC 285 was built as the return of the GOAT by the UFC. Since he vacated his title post his controversial decision win over Dominick Reyes at UFC 247, “Bones” has been contemplating a move up in weight. However, the move took three years due to the not-so-good relationship that he had with the promotion. In the fight against Gane, Jones ate a nasty low blow at the beginning of the fight but was successful in closing distance and taking down the Frenchman which was followed by a guillotine choke finish.
Do you agree with Tyson’s take on Jones as the MMA GOAT? Comment below!
