Dana White sent a word of warning to Jon Jones after Francis Ngannou put up a blazing performance at UFC 260.
"The Predator" became the third African-born UFC champion. He ran through Stipe Miocic in the first minute of the second round. Having gone through four top heavyweights coming into the title fight and knocking out the champion Stipe Miocic in a dominant manner, Francis Ngannou is certainly the biggest force to be reckoned with in the division.
Jon Jones, who gave up his light heavyweight title last year to pursue a title fight in the heavyweight division, was given a warning by the UFC president. Dana White suggested that if Jon Jones has seen Francis Ngannou fight and defeat Stipe Miocic tonight, he should seriously consider moving back down to middleweight instead of challenging for the heavyweight belt next.
"If I'm Jon Jones and I'm at home watching this fight, I'm moving down to 185."
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Jon Jones was clearly keeping a keen eye and ear on what was happening at UFC 260. He took to Twitter to respond to Dana White's jab.
"Go to 185? I didn't gain all this weight for no reason."
In a now-deleted tweet earlier, Jon Jones praised the new heavyweight champion Francis Ngannou, saying he looked great. However, 'Bones' was not too impressed by the performance of Stipe Miocic. He ended the tweet by possibly addressing Dana White and the UFC. He seemingly asked them to "set something up".
Jon Jones has been preparing for a move up to the heavyweight division for a while now. He has also been posting about the progress of his training on his social media accounts.
Will Francis Ngannou fight Jon Jones next?
Dana White has already confirmed that Jon Jones is in line to get a shot at the heavyweight title. In a recent interview with ESPN's Max Kellerman, the UFC chief revealed that Jon Jones will possibly fight the winner of the UFC 260 heavyweight title sometime in the fall.
Francis Ngannou is also open to fighting Jon Jones and considers the bout to be a great addition to his MMA resume. Speaking to BT Sport's Adam Catterall, "The Predator" shared that for him, Jon Jones is the No. 1 pound-for-pound fighter in the world. The record 'Bones' has amassed in the sport and the accolades he has achieved would make him a great challenge for the new UFC heavyweight champion.