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Francis Ngannou understands the frustration of not being able to fight consistently.
Before becoming heavyweight champion last weekend at UFC 260, the 34-year-old knockout artist wanted to keep a much busier schedule as he moved closer and closer to the title contention. Unfortunately, with Stipe Miocic and Daniel Cormier tied up in a trilogy, Ngannou and all the other heavyweights were waiting for this series of fights to end before anyone could compete for gold in the UFC.
After finishing Miocic with a vicious second-round knockout in their rematch, Ngannou focused on a showdown with former light heavyweight champion Jon Jones, who had already been teased as his next opponent. Despite his own desire for this fight, Ngannou saw Jones engage in a very public dispute over his compensation for this potential match and go so far as to ask the UFC for his release from the promotion.
While it’s entirely possible that cooler heads will prevail, Ngannou knows that fight negotiations have no time limit, which is why, while he hopes Jones will be his next opponent, he refuses to act as a hindrance to all the other heavyweight contenders trying to get it. a title shot just so he can get what he wants.
“I want [Jon Jones] to be [my next fight] but again, I don’t have a say in this, ”Ngannou told MMA Fighting Tuesday. “I don’t really know what’s going on with Jones and the UFC. I don’t know what the problem is but again it’s none of my business. I’m just trying to deal with my ending which isn’t easy for me either. I’m just doing business with myself. I can’t tell Jon Jones what to do. I wish I had this fight but [as opposed to that fight] I won’t be sitting here waiting for a fight because it’s the only fight.
“There are a lot of good fights there. The list right now is full of good contenders that you may possibly want to fight. This is what I was expecting just to stay active because in the past two years I have only fought twice and I don’t want that to happen again and I also don’t want to be responsible for anyone. ‘another. the division is out of luck for the title because i’m hanging on because i’m inactive. “
Ngannou first attached himself to a possible fight against Jones almost a year ago, when the longest defending 205-pound champion in UFC history began teasing the move to weights. heavy.
The same issues plagued the fight at the time as Jones found himself at odds with the UFC over his contract salary and the proposed fight with Ngannou eventually wore off.
Now that he’s the reigning UFC heavyweight champion, Ngannou understands that his obligation is to defend the title and keep the division moving. If Jones isn’t next, Ngannou is convinced that they will eventually cross paths.
“I tried to have this fight a long time ago, but I understood it was not my call,” Ngannou said. “There’s a lot going on to make the fight happen. Sometimes a good fight comes when you don’t even expect it.
“There are so many fights with Derrick Lewis for example since we never give the fans what they expected to see. It is also a good fight to fight.
If Jones’ fight doesn’t happen, Lewis would be the next obvious choice after demolishing Curtis Blaydes in his last outing to solidify his place near the top of the division.
Lewis also holds a victory over Ngannou after a largely uninspired fight in July 2018 where the heavyweights rarely engaged with each other in three rounds, which led to a lackluster decision. Almost three years later, Ngannou knows he has unfinished business that needs to be worked out with Lewis.
“Basically, after a few years of thinking about this [fight] and being in line for the title and being the champion and wanting him that belt for the second time as well, I think there’s a lot of motivation in this fight and a lot of frustration to make it a lot more different, ”Ngannou said. about facing Lewis a second time.
Ultimately, Ngannou wants to add to his legacy as he seeks to consolidate himself as one of the greatest heavyweights of all time and there is still a long way to go to get there.
He’s already defeated arguably the best heavyweight in UFC history in Miocic and adding Lewis to his resume would help him erase a demon from his past. Then again, Ngannou knows that beating Miocic and Jones as back-to-back opponents would put him in rarefied air and he certainly understands the desire to be paid for a fight of this magnitude.
“I think everyone wants to get paid,” Ngannou said. “Whether it’s in the UFC or in the office, everyone who walks would love to be paid. It’s just obvious.
“In order to have a good fight, we were talking about CVs, Jon Jones is No. 1 pound for pound. Having fought the man known as the GOAT heavyweight and then fought the # 1 pound for pound in the sport – legacy-wise, that’s a good fight to fight too. “
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