With former UFC light heavyweight champion Jon Jones set to make his heavyweight debut this March, an advisor to Jones, Richard Schaefer, has some thoughts about the circumstances that led to the fight. Jones was widely expected to face former champion Francis Ngannou for the belt, but the recent announcement that Ngannou is leaving the UFC, and the organization’s choice to strip him of the title, feels like a “mistake” to Schaefer, who discussed the announcement in a recent episode of The MMA Hour.
“I think he’s a terrific athlete and I think he has some big fights ahead of him and I personally think, just my feeling, that he made a mistake not working out his deal with UFC.
Jon Jones Advisor: Ngannou Made “Mistake” To Leave UFC
But it’s his decision. That’s what he is doing and the world goes on, and UFC goes on. There’s going to be other big fights and there are other heavyweights lined up to fight the winner of this fight, to fight Jon after he beats Ciryl. So we’ll move on and keep doing the best fighting the best, the best which are available.”
Schaefer continued, asking whether a future in big-money boxing matches is really in Ngannou’s best interests. “Maybe he was a big star in UFC, but did he really transcend the UFC?
I don’t know. I don’t know enough. I think he’s a terrific athlete, I think he’s very charismatic as well, I’m a fan of his, so I wish him all the best. I just hope he’s not going to go into boxing, but that he’s going to find whatever big fights he’s looking for…
I wish that fight fans, sports fans, would finally understand, if you have an MMA athlete go and compete against a boxer in a boxing ring, the boxer is going to win.
There’s just no question about it. And if you have a boxer go and compete in an octagon, the MMA guy, under MMA rules, the MMA guys is going to win. It’s two different sports and I don’t see in any way, shape, or form, that Francis Ngannou could go and beat a Deontay Wilder or a Tyson Fury or an Oleksandr Usyk.
So if that is the case, why do I need to see it? Why do I need to pay $80 or $100 to see a fight when I know who is going to win? I’m not interested in that.”
Do you think Francis Ngannou made a mistake? Let us know in the comments.
