Francis Ngannou responds to Jon Jones’s praise after Renan Ferreira victory: "I think he's class"

Francis Ngannou returned to MMA last weekend and unlocked a new monster to be feared: ground-and-pound Ngannou. Showcasing a facet of his game rarely seen, 'The Predator' took Renan Ferreira down, drowned him with top pressure, and then proceeded to stop him with ferocious punches on the ground. Mark 'The Hammer' Coleman would be proud.

Another proud person is UFC heavyweight champion and consensus MMA GOAT Jon Jones, who congratulated the new PFL heavyweight Superfight champion on X:

"What an amazing job Francis did tonight, displayed a complete MMA game. Great kicks, great takedowns. It feels good to see him shine. Wow congratulations Champ, I see you."

Ngannou responded to this in his interview with Ariel Helwani at The Ariel Helwani Show today. Despite being two of the best heavyweights in the world today, Ngannou and Jones are all love for each other.

Ngannou said:

“Whatever he means, I think he’s [Jones is] class. He said it in a very nice way, you know. Som I see him too, and I’ll be watching him on November 16th [laughs].”

Check out Francis Ngannou's comments below:

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Francis Ngannou in possibly facing Jon Jones: "There's a chance"

When Francis Ngannou said he'll be watching Jon Jones on Nov. 16, he meant the UFC heavyweight champ's title defense against former divisional king Stipe Miocic at UFC 309.

Near the end of the clip, Ariel Helwani asked 'The Predator' the odds of him facing Jones, despite both men being in different promotions. He also insinuated that new fight industry magnate Turki Alalshikh could possibly be involved.

Ngannou said:

"There is a chance. I can't tell, on the level of one to ten, I can't tell how many, but I know there is a chance...I know that fight also interest Turki [Alalshikh]"

While the UFC is quite adamant in its refusal to co-promote with other organizations, it has bent its rules in the past, like when it allowed Conor McGregor to fight Floyd Mayweather Jr. under the Showtime banner. Turki Alalshikh, the minister and chairman of the General Entertainment Authority of Saudi Arabia, founded Riyadh Season, which promoted Noche UFC 306 this year.

With the PFL and the UFC within the pool of organizations promoted and showcased by Riyadh Season, perhaps it is closer than ever to Francis Ngannou vs Jon Jones would finally come to fruition.