What Francis Ngannou's win over Tyson Fury may mean for a potential Jon Jones superfight

While Tyson Fury was the winner on the scorecards, many considered Francis Ngannou the true victor in Saudi Arabia after his impressive performance against the current WBC heavyweight champion. Dropping Fury in the third, Ngannou went on to control much of the fight, but he eventually lost via split decision. 

The commendable performance by Ngannou has opened doors for the Cameroonian, as his PFL contract gives him flexibility with fighting opponents in both MMA and boxing. While many expect Ngannou to soon face off against heavyweight boxers among the likes of Deontay Wilder or Anthony Joshua, a potential superfight against UFC legend Jon Jones would be ideal for Ngannou, according to his head coach Eric Nicksick. 

On "The MMA Hour" with Ariel Helwani (via MMA Fighting), Nicksick said, "I want to compete against the best and I think Jon is the best. I don’t want any more guesses about who is the baddest man on the planet. Let’s run it. Let’s do it.” Ngannou himself has also historically been open to the idea of a heavyweight matchup with Jones, and while the fight was always discussed, it never materialized in the UFC. 

Dana White has not been open to the idea of a cross-promotional fight in the past, however, it has happened before. Chuck Liddell went to Japan to compete in a fight in PRIDE FC, and Conor McGregor boxed Floyd Mayweather Jr. in one of the biggest fights in boxing history. 

Following the Fury fight, PFL founder Don Davis stated on "The MMA Hour" that "there’s only one guy in MMA right now who’s interesting for Francis Ngannou: Jon Jones. One guy." 

The PFL certainly seems open to the possibility of a fight between two fighters signed to two different promotions, but it will likely have to be the UFC that makes the deciding call. On Helwani's podcast, Nicksick concluded by stating, “I think Dana and the UFC are smart businessmen. If the business is right, the logistics are right, I think you set your ego aside and just make it happen.”

It is yet to be seen whether it will materialize, but a bot between Ngannou and Jones would be considered one of, if not the biggest fight in the history of heavyweight MMA. It would finally decide who the baddest man on the planet is.