Jon Jones wants Francis Ngannou to win but his money is on Anthony Joshua to be victorious on March 8th.
The UFC heavyweight champion was asked about his thoughts on the upcoming boxing bout between former UFC champion Francis Ngannou and former boxing heavyweight king Anthony Joshua; Bones gave a fair answer, considering Ngannou was listening on the cage side.
“I’m rooting for Francis to win…But only because of his story, how far he’s come in life, and being a fellow martial artist. How could you not root for Francis? Francis is a wonderful, stand-up person. So I’m rooting for Francis but Anthony Joshua, he’s been doing this since he was a young boy. And I’m the type of guy who just gives respect where it’s due. So if I personally had to put my money on it, not that I gamble, I will put in on Anthony Joshua. But I am rooting for Francis.”
Jon Jones
It can be recalled that Francis fought lineal heavyweight champion Tyson Fury last October 28, 2023 in his pro boxing debut. Although Fury won that bout via split decision, Ngannou knocked down Fury in the third round of that entertaining fight.
Ngannou will face Joshua in a 10-round professional boxing bout which will be held at the Kingdom Arena in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. The bout will mark only the second professional boxing bout for Ngannou and his second against a former world champion.
According to the latest odds from the Las Vegas oddsmakers, Joshua is a massive -550 betting favorite to beat Ngannou. Meanwhile, the Predator is a big +470 underdog at FanDuel.
Ngannou won the UFC heavyweight championship by knocking out Stipe Miocic at UFC 260 in 2021. A year later The Predator successfully defended the belt against Cyril Gane at UFC. But after a contract dispute, Ngannou left the UFC to sign with the Professional Fighters League. However, The Predator would not compete in the organization’s tournaments but instead headline its ‘super fight’ division which includes boxing bouts.
The Predator has long been linked to a fight with Jones but after he and the UFC did not come to an agreement on a new deal, that bout will probably become one of the greatest what-ifs in the history of the sport.