Ngannou Reacts To Jon Jones’ Injury, No Rematch Clause In Fury-Ngannou
In some MMA news, Francis Ngannou has responded to the news that Jon Jones will no longer be defending his heavyweight title against Stipe Miocic.
Bones had been on course to face Miocic at UFC 295, only to then pull out after suffering from an injury in training. It is reported that Jones suffered from a torn pec, which was the last thing that the heavyweight champion needed given the suggestions that the bout could have been a retirement one for the winner.
Jones will undergo surgery, with the expectation that the injury will keep the star out of action until sometime next year. In response, Tom Aspinall had been added to the card for an interim heavyweight title about against Sergei Pavlovich.
And given that Ngannou was a former UFC heavyweight champion, the fighter was disappointed that the big fight did not go ahead.
Ngannou On Jones
“Well, I think it’s sad news. It’s never good news when athletes get injured. Basically, in training. I hope he recovers well. I was very excited to watch that fight and see who was going to win that fight. Something like this is not something you can blame to somebody,” Ngannou said. “It’s something that can happen to everybody. It could’ve happened here. It could happen to anybody. I don’t think that’s a part of the decision, but yes. It sucks, though,” Ngannou stated
Fury-Ngannou Rematch
Outside of that, Tyson Fury has revealed that there is no rematch clause in his bout with Francis Ngannou.
As the two prepare to face each other on October 28th, 2023, Fury cannot afford to come second best given that the undisputed fight with Oleksandr Usyk is expected next.
And a defeat would go down as arguably one of the biggest shocks of all time. With that being said, a loss would not make things any easier since there appears to be no rematch clause.
That may be understandable since Fury is expected to win, which is why a rematch clause would tie down the fighter to another bout, delaying the Usyk fight. Having said that, though, the pressure is on Fury to perform.
“As we stand today, there is no rematch clause either way. If he knocks me out cold on Saturday night, I’ll have to beg him, like please give me a rematch. I hate rematch clauses, rematch clauses have tied my career up so long, and cost me a lot of millions of dollars in court cases. I always say we don’t need a rematch (clause).
“If the first fight is good then both participants will surely want a rematch. If it’s a shit fight, then it’s not deserving of a rematch. So, I hate when champions do this rematch clause, obviously, I know why, it’s a double payday. But, they go into the first fight and they already announce there is a rematch clause, so it takes all the emphasis off the first fight, no one cares about the first fight. There’s a rematch clause anyway, let’s see who wins the second fight, that’s the one that really counts,” Fury stated
Nevertheless, Ngannou did indicate in the grand arrivals that he would be open to having a rematch even if he came out victorious.
And the expectation was on Fury to do the same if the Gypsy King secured the victory. But in order for that to happen, it will all depend on the success of the bout.
So moving forward, there are still a few things that need to play out before any talk of a rematch comes to the fore. Find all the latest boxing news and MMA breaking updates on boxingblitz.
