Veteran comedian and UFC commentator Joe Rogan reveals his frustration after missing out on Francis Ngannou vs Jon Jones for the heavyweight title!
UFC lost their heavyweight champion recently as Francis Ngannou walked out of the company over a contract dispute. There were a lot of rumors that Ngannou was going to leave the company. However, fans had hoped that Ngannou would take on Jon Jones before his exit from the biggest MMA promotion in the world. But ultimately neither Dana White nor Francis budged from their stance.
Fans are interested in knowing where Ngannou is most likely to head next. There are loads of options for Ngannou. Unlike other free agents, Ngannou got out of the UFC with the heavyweight championship in his cupboard. Hence MMA promotions like PFL, Bellator, RIZIN, and BKFC are chomping on the bits to sign The Predator. Boxing is also an option for the 36-year-old.
In 2022, Francis created a ton of buzz when he was having a back-and-forth with WBC heavyweight champion Tyson Fury. After Fury beat Dillian Whyte, he and Ngannou got into the ring after the boxing match and announced a hybrid rule fight. There were expectations that it would take place in 2023. Now that the new year is officially here and Ngannou is a free agent, he wants to revisit that.
Joe Rogan reveals his thoughts on Francis Ngannou leaving the UFC
Although there is excitement for what Ngannou does next, Joe Rogan is immensely disappointed about Ngannou’s release. Fans saw how much Ngannou has improved his wrestling over the last few years. After getting demolished by Stipe Miocic at UFC 220, the Cameroonian made a point to focus much more on wrestling. During a recent episode of “The Joe Rogan Experience,” Belal Muhammad commented on it.
The welterweight fighter revealed Ngannou’s drive to work on his wrestling. Although it is one of the hardest skills to master, Ngannou worked extremely hard on it. Despite having the power to knock out any fighter on the roster, Ngannou did not rest on his laurels and went on to add grappling into his arsenal as well! That is exactly why Joe Rogan is furious about the prospect of not witnessing Jon Jones vs Ngannou for the heavyweight title.
Rogan added, “I’m mad because I feel like we were deprived of one of the great fights in MMA. One of the most compelling fights in MMA. Doesn’t mean I’m not interested in Ciryl Gane and Jon Jones I’m very interested in that fight.”
Rogan is right about the bout being a compelling one. With Ngannou’s immense power and much-improved grappling, it would have been really interesting to see how Jon Jones would have coped with The Predator. But it is a shame that fans would not get to see the bout happening anytime soon!
