"I can't bet on that" - Francis Ngannou isn't buying Jon Jones' claim that he will return to the octagon in 2022

Francis Ngannou says he doesn't believe Jon Jones' claim that he will make his much-anticipated heavyweight debut in 2022. Jones recently revealed that he’s looking to make his return to the octagon either in April in New York City or during International Fight Week in July.

In an interview with MMA Junkie, Francis Ngannou gave his take on the rumors surrounding Jones' return. 'The Predator' said:

“Personally, I don’t really care about that anymore, you know. There’s a lot of talk about Jon Jones. He says a lot of things, and yet we are still here. And I wasn’t even expecting fighting someone other than Jon Jones after the Stipe [Miocic] fight. But here I am, almost 10 months away, going to fight Ciryl Gane, which wasn’t in the picture, in the landscape, at that moment, at all. So, what Jon Jones says, and what Jon Jones does, it’s two different things. And I can’t bet on that. I can’t put my money on that. You know, so, as I said, I just do what I gonna do, and we don’t know what the future holds for us.”

Additionally, Ngannou was asked whether he’s given any thought towards a potential super-fight with Jon Jones. The Cameroonian answered:

“No. Not at all. It’s not something that I’m running against anymore.”

Watch Francis Ngannou's interview with MMA Junkie below:

---

Jon Jones will be looking to put 2021 in the rear-view mirror and capture UFC heavyweight gold in 2022

Jon Jones made an appearance at the UFC's Hall of Fame ceremony this September. His first fight against Alexander Gustafsson at UFC 165 was being inducted into the Hall of Fame, and 'Bones' made the trip to Las Vegas for the event.

Watch Jon Jones discuss his first fight with Alexander Gustafsson and the potential move to heavyweight below:

Just a few hours after the event, Jones was arrested following an alleged domestic violence incident between him and his fiancé Jessie Moses.

'Bones' was charged with domestic battery and tampering with a police vehicle. Nevertheless, he later posted a video with Moses, suggesting that they’d moved on from the alleged incident.

The former light heavyweight champion also indicated that he plans to refrain from drinking alcohol, as it’d purportedly played a role in the incident. He appears to be focussed on his preparations for his much-anticipated heavyweight debut.

Jones is expected to take on the winner of the heavyweight title unification bout slated for January next year. Francis Ngannou, the reigning UFC heavyweight champion, is set to lock horns with interim UFC heavyweight champion Ciryl Gane at UFC 270.