Jon Jones breaks silence after Francis Ngannou scores first-round knockout in MMA rematch… 'Everyone beats me up until they're in with me'

Instead, the champion decided not to stick around and instead took up the challenge of boxing and signed with the PFL for his MMA future. And even though Jones took hold of the vacant belt, it is still believed that Ngannou is the rightful champion.

Francis Ngannou stops Renan Ferreira within one lap in PFL debut

Almost three years after his last fight in the octagon, there were concerns among fans as to whether Francis Ngannou would still have the upper hand. And he didn't choose an easy path back, choosing 2023 PFL champion Renan Ferreira, who stands 6'3″ and just knocked out Bellator champion Ryan Bader.

The Cameroonian had spent the past year pursuing his boxing dream by taking on Tyson Fury and Anthony Joshua in two big-money pay-per-view tournaments. He dropped the then-WBC champion en route to a narrow split decision defeat before being stopped by Joshua, and impressed spectators across the board.

But he recommitted himself to his fight against the giant Ferreira, landing a big takedown early that set him up for a ground-and-pound finish. After repelling a triangle attempt from the massive Brazilian, Ngannou managed to fire several unanswered shots.

However, fans were outraged when referee Dan Miragliotta waited until the last possible moment to stop the fight. There was a feeling that he could have ended the contest much earlier and saved Ferreira from an onslaught.

After being dragged away by his enemy, Ngannou burst into tears alongside his family as he paid tribute to his late son Kobe. Back in April, when he was just 15 months old, his son died after an illness and he thought about retiring.

However, he decided to push forward with the return to the cage, which he dedicated to his son. Now Ngannou has vowed to rest while he assesses his future in both the PFL and the boxing ring.

Jon Jones reacts after impressive KO of Francis Ngannou

What the MMA community was waiting for after the fight was for Jon Jones to pick up on what he had just seen. The UFC heavyweight champion is currently in camp for what is believed to be his final fight against Stipe Miocic next month at Madison Square Garden.

However, there is strong interest in a number of big fights for the 37-year-old, including interim champion Tom Aspinall and, most notably, Ngannou. The pair even competed against each other in Atlanta last year, and rumors of an unprecedented promotional crossover show no sign of abating.

However, when it came to Saturday night, Jones clearly observed and went to X to give his opinion after the fact. He refused to berate his rival and insisted he was happy to be back after a few years and showcasing multiple facets of his game.

“What an amazing job Francis did tonight,” Jones wrote in a message to his nearly 3 million followers. “Showed a complete MMA match. Great kicks, great takedowns. It feels good to see him shine. Wow, congratulations champ, I see you.”

However, his act of kindness only lasted a few moments as he made a veiled threat in response to a fan who claimed Ngannou was going to “smoke him out.” “Sure,” he wrote. “Everyone beats me up until they get into me.”

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