Dan Hardy turns heads with his take on the best heavyweight, claiming it’s a battle between Francis Ngannou and Tom Aspinall

Dan Hardy recently weighed in on who is the best heavyweight on the planet, claiming that Francis Ngannou or Tom Aspinall hold the title.

Francis Ngannou made his return to mixed martial arts in October, ending a nearly three-year hiatus as he defeated Renan Ferreira via first-round knockout at PFL Super Fights: Battle of the Giants to claim the inaugural PFL Super Fights heavyweight title. Meanwhile, Tom Aspinall is the interim UFC heavyweight champion angling to challenge Jon Jones for the undisputed crown.

A section of the MMA community believes that Jon Jones is the best MMA fighter, thus his omission, considering he is currently fighting in the heavyweight division of UFC, would raise a few eyebrows.

Speaking to Damon Martin of MMA Fighting, the former mixed martial artist gave his two cents on the subject. Hardy said:

"I think Jon Jones is the pound-for-pound best. I think he's the best representation of mixed martial arts generally that we've ever see and I think he's still evolving, which is terrifying. But is he the best current heavyweight on the planet? I don't think so."

Hardy continued:

"I think the winner of Aspinall versus Ngannou would be the answer, and it's speed versus power. And I don't know whether Ngannou would want to wrestle with Tom Aspinall because Aspinall's got a fantastic ground game. That really is the question. No disrespect in any way to Jon. Current heavyweight champion, but not the current best heavyweight on the planet. Certainly not."

Check out Dan Hardy's comments on the best heavyweight on the planet below:

Jones looked comfortable in his two heavyweight fights, easily defeating Ciryl Gane and Stipe Miocic. While he could face Aspinall next, it is unlikely that Ngannou will face either opponent as he left the UFC in January 2023 and is now signed to the PFL.

---

Francis Ngannou reignites his rivalry with Jon Jones

Despite no longer being a part of UFC, Francis Ngannou remains interested in a potential clash with Jon Jones. The PFL Super Fights heavyweight champion took to X to call for the super fight. 'The Predator' responded to a tweet from 'Bones', stating:

"Blessings make haters uncomfortable, but they can't change it. There's only one fight, the right fight that will multiply your blessings. #NgannouVSJones"

Check out Francis Ngannou's tweet to Jon Jones below:

While both fighters have expressed an interest in the clash, it is almost impossible to envision it coming to fruition. UFC head honcho Dana White has previously shared that he isn't interested in cross-promotion matchups. It remains unclear if he would change that stance to work with Ngannou - and share profits with the PFL - following the latter's departure from the UFC.