Aspinall: A Fight With Ngannou Is 50-50
Tom Aspinall says a fight with Francis Ngannou is a genuine 50-50.
His comments came shortly before Ngannou faced Renan Ferreira on his PFL debut. It was Ngannou’s first MMA fight since 2022. That is when he knocked out Ciryl Gane at UFC 270. He has boxed twice since leaving the UFC, losing to Tyson Fury and Anthony Joshua. Those fights were followed by the tragic passing of his 15-month-old son Kobe.
There were worries that Ngannou would never fight again. But he beat Ferreira in a first-round KO, meaning he has plenty of opportunities moving forward. He is eying a future fight with Jon Jones, stating that he is optimistic about it happening in Saudi Arabia. But even if that is the case, Aspinall did not see Ferreira as an elite-level fighter.
“The guy [Francis Ngannou is] fighting, he’s not elite. And the guys he’ll be fighting in the future aren’t elite, and it’s as simple as that. These aren’t the best guys in the world. The guy he’s fighting fought a friend of mine and a training partner of mine, Ante Delija, and Ante just destroyed him within a minute or two. Took him down, ground and pounded him and stopped him within the first minute, and now this guy’s fighting Francis Ngannou,” Apsinall revealed
Aspinall On Ngannou
Tom has also been chasing a fight with Jones. He is the current UFC Interim Heavyweight Champion, having stopped Curtis Blaydes at UFC 304. That meants Apsinall is line for a title shot next. However, there is speculation that Jones could retire following the Stipe Miocic fight. Outside of Jones, Aspinall would be the biggest heavyweight out there. Tom recognized that it would be a close fight between him and Ngannou, sounding less confident than he has been compared to facing Jones.
“That’s a good fight! That’s a great fight. I’ve always been a big fan of Francis. I love his story, love what he’s all about. I think it’s a 50/50 fight, to be honest. Francis is a scary man. But I think technically I would take the edge. But I think that’s a great fight,” Aspinall said
Aspinall’s Future
The chances of Aspinall ever fighting Ngannou are slim. Dana White clarified that he would never work with Ngannou after his UFC departure. The Predator reportedly rejected an $8 million offer from the UFC to go his own way. White also followed that up by saying he would not do any co-promotion with the PFL. But the Saudis decision to enter MMA could change that as they have made the biggest fights in boxing. As for Aspinall, he was focused on his future. He has teased some big news, which has gotten fans wondering whether he will fight Jones.
“I’m just training to be the backup fighter right now. I’m getting myself fight. Do I think it’s going to happen? Probably not. But I’ll be ready for it if it does. And we just spoke to the UFC, we’ve got some plans in place. I can’t reveal them right now because they’re top secret but there is big news coming soon,” Aspinall stated
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