UFC Hall of Famer Michael Bisping liked what he saw from Francis Ngannou in his encounter with Jon Jones.
Ngannou and Jones faced off and exchanged words last Friday at 2023 PFL 5 from Overtime Elite Arena in Atlanta. Ngannou released a more audible version of the run-in on his Instagram page, and Bisping gave him the edge.
“I think that’s a 10-9 to Francis there,” Bisping said on his “Believe You Me” podcast. “We all love watching Jon fight, and I know he (Anthony Smith) doesn’t so much, but you know that’s a 10-9 to Francis.”
Ngannou failed to come to terms on a new deal with the UFC and left the promotion as heavyweight champion. He eventually signed with the PFL, a deal that allows him to box and gives him equity and a leadership role within the promotion.
So with Ngannou now part of the PFL, Bisping doubts a fight with UFC heavyweight champion Jones ever happens. Bisping believes that, by the time Ngannou pursues boxing and gets into the cage for PFL, it’ll likely be too late for the two stars to throw down.
“Never gonna happen, though. We’re never going to see that fight ever,” Bisping said. “I don’t think so. I mean, Dana said he’ll never have him (Ngannou) back. That doesn’t necessarily mean he will never fight in the UFC, but I think with his age, with the deal that he’s got at the PFL, with the opportunity to box, who knows? Maybe he continues winning fights and retires. But even if he has two or three fights, I think he’ll retire anyway.”
