“Call yourself the meanest man on earth from across the street. Who does that?’ Jon Jones lashes out at Francis Ngannou following his move to the PFL before the former UFC heavyweight champion fires back in a battle of words between the rivals
- Ex-UFC star Francis Ngannou has signed an ‘exclusive partnership’ with the PFL
- Jon Jones – who took Ngannou’s belt – lunged at the Cameroonian after his move
- PFL’s newest fighter then returned fire in a battle of words between the rivals
Jon Jones and Francis Ngannou clashed on social media after ‘The Predator’ announced his new contract with the Professional Fighters League (PFL).
Ngannou was one of the biggest names in the UFC before a dispute over his contract terms led to his departure last December.
Now the Cameroonian has signed an ‘exclusive partnership’ agreement whereby he will receive shares and take on leadership positions in the PFL, while also being allowed to box elsewhere.
After the move, Ngannou claimed on his YouTube channel that he is now “the meanest mother on the planet.”
However, Jones – who is the holder of the heavyweight belt Ngannou vacated following his departure from UFC – took issue with this comment and hit back at PFL’s newest fighter.
UFC heavyweight champion lashed out against Francis Ngannou after his move to the PFL was announced
After the move, Ngannou claimed he is now “the meanest mother on the planet.”
Jones objected to this and the pair then launched a war of words against each other
He tweeted, “Calling yourself the baddest man on earth from across the street, who does that?”
30 minutes later, Ngannou — though he didn’t respond directly to Jones — responded as he said, “Then cross the street.”
As part of his deal with PFL, Ngannou is expected to take part in a boxing fight in the coming months before making his debut with his new employer next year.
Speaking about his move after it was confirmed, he told the New York Times: ‘The last few months have been a very interesting time to understand and see the landscape, but I’m really excited about this deal with the PFL because they essentially showed what I expected.
“They didn’t just show up as a promotion looking for a fighter, but really showed up as a partner who sees more value in you as a person.”
PFL confirmed the signing of former UFC heavyweight champion Francis Ngannou yesterday
The Cameroonian fighter left the UFC last year after a failed contract negotiation
In the aforementioned boxing fight, there are rumors that the ex-UFC champion will face Tyson Fury, Deontay Wilder or Anthony Joshua, although there is no serious development yet.
The 36-year-old will compete in PFL’s Super-fight division, which allows fighters to earn at least 50 percent of the pay-per-view [PPV] gain. Compared to the UFC’s 20 percent discount for fighters, it remains an attractive opportunity.
‘The Predator’ was one of UFC’s stars before he left, but felt unappreciated by company executives when he sat down to discuss a new deal.
Ngannou added: ‘Let’s just say my deal with PFL is more than anyone else offered’.