UFC: Jon Jones sizes up Francis Ngannou cage aspect at PFL 5: ‘You do not need this smoke’

Right earlier than 2023’s PFL 5, there have been rumblings that Jon Jones was going to make an look in Atlanta’s Extra time Elite Enviornment and that Francis Ngannou was going to be there as effectively. Because the occasion began, Jones positively confirmed up and he even supplied an interview wherein he appeared excited to get his face-to-face with the person who rejected the UFC and signed a brand new contract with the PFL. When he made that call, he vacated the Heavyweight championship that Jon Jones ultimately gained after submitting Ciryl Gane. Throughout the complete course of, Ngannou turned enemies with Dana White whereas Jon Jones simply stored taunting him on social media.

If a face-to-face was going to occur, no person knew what the result may be. Throughout that interview earlier than the occasion, the present UFC Heavyweight champ revealed he had no want to start out any issues. Nonetheless, he did throw some shade at Ngannou earlier than going as much as his face and dimension him up. That was the second all of a sudden all people who knew each had been on the Enviornment had been on the lookout for. Because it occurred, the complete crowd who seen received heated and began cheering each of them. The ambiance was too loud to know any of what they instructed one another. However the pleasure and rigidity had been palpable, little question.

‘You do not need this smoke’

Though he did point out he could be respectful, the microphones did decide up a really particular phrase that proves Jon Jones stored taunting Francis in a respectful method. The pair greeted one another, shook arms and did get that face-to-face. However Jones let slip a fast: “You do not need this smoke,” proper along side the cage. The remainder of the dialog is for them alone and the legendary Ray Sefo, who witnessed the complete change. A combat between these two appears unlikely proper now, particularly with Dana White as offended as he’s at Francis for rejecting him. Nonetheless, the hopes of a PFL/UFC occasion in an effort to make that combat occur stays a dream that no less than somebody will attempt to make occur.