Jon Jones breaks character, admits Francis Ngannou showed "great" boxing against Tyson Fury

Jon Jones has exchanged words with Francis Ngannou on multiple occasions over the past several years. Despite this, 'Bones' recently praised 'The Predator' for his efforts in his boxing debut against WBC heavyweight champion Tyson Fury. While the former UFC heavyweight champion lost the bout via split decision, many viewers felt that he was robbed of a victory.

When asked about Ngannou's performance on Twitter, the UFC heavyweight champion responded:

"I thought he did great, I’m glad the fight was competitive. Opens so many doors for everyone in the future."

Check out Jon Jones' tweet regarding Francis Ngannou's performance below:

While Ngannou lost the bout via split decision, he performed much better than most believed he would. Although 'The Predator' was outlanded 71 to 59, he landed 37 power punches compared to 32 for Fury. He also scored the only knockdown of the bout with a vicious third-round left hook.

Furthermore, while many predicted that the former UFC heavyweight champion would gas out in the later rounds of the bout, he remained active throughout the bought. Ngannou threw more punches in the final five rounds than he did in the first five rounds. He also threw more punches than Fury over the final five rounds. It is unclear if 'The Predator' will look to continue his boxing career after going toe to toe with the WBC heavyweight champion for ten rounds.

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Francis Ngannou wishes Jon Jones well in recovery from injury

Jon Jones was forced out of his UFC 295 bout against Stipe Miocic after tearing the tendon that connects the pectoral muscle to the bone, according to UFC President Dana White. Despite their previous back and forths, Francis Ngannou wished 'Bones' well in his recovery. Speaking to Mike Bohn of MMA Junkie, 'The Predator' stated:

"I think it's sad news. It's never good news when an athlete gets injured basically in training. I hope he recovers well. I was very excited to watch that fight and to see who was going to win that fight... Something like this, it's not a thing that you can blame to somebody. It can happen to everybody. It could've happened here. It could happen to anybody so I don't think that's a part of the decision, but yes, it sucks though."

Check out Francis Ngannou's comments on Jon Jones' injury below:

Jones has shared that he still plans to face Miocic upon his return from injury. In the meantime, Sergei Pavlovich will face Tom Aspinall for the interim heavyweight title.