Francis Ngannou’s coach takes veiled dig at Jon Jones’s choice of opponent for UFC title defence

Francis Ngannou's victory over Stipe Miocic in their rematch at UFC 260 is perhaps one of his most iconic wins in the sport. 'The Predator' claimed the UFC heavyweight championship on March 27, over three years after Miocic defeated Ngannou via unanimous decision at UFC 220.

Ngannou's rise in the UFC was distinguished by a scorching streak of dominance, with six straight finishes, including victories over notable names like Alistair Overeem and Curtis Blaydes. However, Ngannou's dominant run was met by the resistance of then-champion Miocic, who leveraged his wrestling pedigree to outclass the Cameroonian.

'The Predator' will make his highly anticipated return to MMA after a brief boxing stint to lock horns with Rennan Ferreira on Oct. 19 at the PFL Super Fights: Battle of the Giants event. This will be Ngannou's first fight under the Professional Fighters League (PFL) banner, where he's an equity owner and holds several leadership roles in the organization. Meanwhile, Miocic will take on UFC heavyweight champion Jon Jones for the heavyweight championship at UFC 309.

In the past, Ngannou and Jones have teased the idea of a potential clash. However, failed negotiations and Ngannou's departure from the UFC have shelved the idea of the fight.

In an interview with ESPN MMA, Ngannou's coach Eric Nicksick recently claimed that a win over Ferreira is more significant than Jones' potential victory over Miocic. Nicksick stated:

"I feel like Renan Ferreira now is a bigger win than if you were to fight a Stipe again, where they're at in their careers...The name Stipe on your resume is huge but where they're at in the quality of the wins right now in their career, I think Renan is a bigger win right now than what Stipe would be."

Catch Nicksick's comments below:

Catch Nicksick's interview with ESPN MMA below:

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When Eric Nicksick claimed he's optimistic about a potential Jon Jones vs. Francis Ngannou clash

UFC CEO Dana White isn't a fan of the idea of cross-promotional fights. However, a potential fight between Jon Jones and Francis Ngannou will only come to fruition if the UFC and PFL join forces to stage the encounter.

However, for Ngannou's coach Eric Nicksick, the matchup remains at the top of his wish list. Speaking in an interview with MMA Junkie, he said:

“I’m very optimistic when it comes to these things and I think money talks, you know, and you get the right people behind you. Obviously, we have a good relationship with Saudi, and I know Dana and UFC are working well with Saudi, so money talks. No disrespect to Dana, but he has a boss as well. So, somebody tells, ‘Hey man, this is a lot of money. We’re taking this. Set your ego aside." [H/t: MMA Junkie]

Catch Eric Nicksick's comments below (12:00):