Francis Ngannou reacts to Jon Jones’ post-fight tweet after his successful PFL debut

Former UFC heavyweight champion Francis Ngannou has answered Jon Jones’ tweet after a successful PFL debut against Renan Ferreira.

Ngannou’s return to MMA went about as well as he could’ve expected on Saturday in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. After nearly three full years away from the cage, Ngannou quickly took down Ferreira and finished the fight with brutal ground-and-pound strikes.

It was Ngannou’s first MMA win by TKO/KO since finishing Stipe Miocic at UFC 260. Before his victorious PFL showcase, Ngannou hadn’t competed in MMA since a unanimous decision win over Ciryl Gane at UFC 270.

After the UFC stripped Ngannou of his heavyweight title in 2023, Jones defeated Gane for the then-vacant title at UFC 285. While Jones and Ngannou are no longer under the same promotional banner, both sides have expressed interest in making a super fight happen.

But, that didn’t stop Jones from crediting his potential rival in a congratulatory tweet last weekend. Jones didn’t jab Ngannou online and kept his social media remarks classy.

Francis Ngannou reacts to Jon Jones’ “Classy” tweet

During a recent appearance on The Ariel Helwani Show, Ngannou responded to Jones’s congratulatory message.

“I saw his tweet. Whatever he means, I think it’s class,” Ngannou said. “He said it very nicely, and I’ll see him too! And I’ll be watching on November 16th.”

Jones will face Miocic in his first UFC heavyweight title defense at UFC 309 next month. It’s potentially Jones’s final fight in the UFC after teasing retirement for months.

But, Jones could potentially postpone retirement for a clash with either interim titleholder Tom Aspinall or Ngannou, if the cross-promotional booking comes to fruition. UFC CEO Dana White has previously said he’s not interested in any cross-promoting.

Ngannou signed with the PFL after parting ways from the UFC in 2023. Immediately after concluding his UFC tenure, he pursued professional boxing matches against heavyweight greats Tyson Fury and Anthony Joshua.

Jones ended a three-year UFC absence when he defeated Gane last year for the then-vacant heavyweight title. He’s regarded by many as the greatest UFC fighter of all time after a nearly unblemished professional record as a light heavyweight.

A clash between Ngannou and Jones was first proposed when Ngannou captured the UFC title at UFC 260. White and the rest of the UFC brass attempted to make the fight happen, but due to various circumstances, they couldn’t pull the matchmaking trigger.

Previous bad blood between Jones and Ngannou has cooled, at least for now. A potential super fight between them could be wishful thinking, but it would be one of the biggest fights in mixed martial arts history.