"He's still the guy at heavyweight" - Francis Ngannou believes Jon Jones will have a tough night against "the most challenging guy in the division"

Jon Jones returned to the sport after more a three years hiatus to defeat Ciryl Gane in the main event of UFC 285 earlier this year.

'Bones' took time away from competition to bulk up in weight following his decision to move from light heavyweight to heavyweight. His preparation paid off, as he submitted Gane in the first round of their contest in impressive fashion.

It is expected that Jon Jones will face former champion Stipe Miocic next, who last competed against Francis Ngannou at UFC 260 in 2021. Miocic suffered a brutal knockout defeat against 'The Predator', losing the title in the process, but he has aspirations of reclaiming the belt against 'Bones'.

Ngannou recently spoke to TMZ Sports, during which he stated that Miocic was still the best heavyweight in the UFC. 'The Predator' predicted that Jones would have difficulty defeating Miocic:

"It's gonna be tough for Jones. I think we all don't give the credit that is due to Stipe. Stipe is not having enough credit. For me, he's still the guy at heavyweight. He's still the most challenging guy in the heavyweight division. If you get to fight Stipe, tell yourself that you are fighting for the world title."

Watch the video below:

To watch the full interview, click here.

Stipe Miocic is reportedly in the best shape of his career ahead of a potential bout with Jon Jones. Anthony Smith, a former opponent of 'Bones', stated that he met up with Miocic for dinner earlier this year and that he looked "absolutely massive."

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Francis Ngannou discusses possibly facing Jon Jones

A fight between Francis Ngannou and Jon Jones was arguably the most talked about fantasy matchup over recent years, with fans desperate for the pair to do battle in the cage.

Until Ngannou's departure from the UFC earlier this year and subsequent signing with the PFL, a matchup between the pair seemed likely. But in a recent interview with TMZ Sports, Ngannou shared his thoughts on the possibility of facing 'Bones' in the future.

'The Predator' appeared hopeful that the fight would materialize, and also detailed the healthy respect that exists between the pair, following a face-to-face meeting with Jon Jones at PFL 5. He said this:

"The energy was there. I think it's been like three years that we've been talking about this fight and to get to meet each other in person - even though the fight is far from happening - it's still possible that it can happen. We respect each other as athletes, we have this rivarly and everyone wants to know who is the biggest dog in the room, but we do respect each other."

Watch the face-to-face between Jones and Ngannou at PFL 5 below: