Jon Jones Accused Of Ducking Ngannou – ‘Jones Was Scared’

PFL fighter Karim Henniene says Jon Jones left MMA because he was afraid to face Francis Ngannou. 

Ngannou and Jones were linked with a fight during their time in the UFC. Both sides accused each other of not wanting the fight. Dana White had previously suggested that Jones move down to middleweight after Ngannou had knocked out Stipe Miocic at UFC 260 in 2021. White would later say Ngannou never wanted the fight, as Francis left following his win over Ciryl Gane at UFC 270 in January 2022. White said he would never work with Ngannou again, as Francis signed with the PFL. White has even shut down the idea of a co-promotion with the PFL to make the Ngannou-Jones fight. Henniene felt Jones took an easier fight against Miocic than face Francis. 

“Francis Ngannou is literally the scariest man on the planet. In my belief, Jon Jones was scared of Ngannou. Definitely see, he was f***ing like putting everybody in another stratosphere, a universe with his f***ing uppercut like he did to [Alistair] Overeem, Stipe Miocic. Nah, Francis Ngannou was the scariest puncher in the entire MMA world, you know.

“So, I think Jon Jones was scared. Jon Jones haven’t knocked out anyone in like 10 years, you know. So obviously he was scared of Francis Ngannou that’s why he took the Stipe Miocic exit. So yeah, Francis Ngannou is the scariest man on this planet,” Henniene said 

The Approach

The path to victory for Jones would involve pressure wrestling, clinch work, and ground control. Jones would likely use oblique kicks and feints early on to draw his attention away from the takedown attempts. If Jones managed to secure Ngannou on the ground, the fight would tilt in his favor, as Ngannou has struggled off his back. Jones could employ relentless top pressure, elbows, and positional dominance to drain Ngannou’s gas tank.

Ngannou would need to keep the fight in the striking range, using his athleticism to shrug off any early clinch attempts. The path to victory would involve landing his signature right cross or left hook as Jones attempts to close the distance or after Jones throws a kick. Ngannou’s power is so immense that he would not need to set up a combination; one clean shot to Jones’s chin, especially if Jones were caught in transition or trying to implement a risky maneuver, would be all it takes.