Head coach Eric Nicksick has provided an injury update on UFC Heavyweight champion Francis Ngannou.
Currently, Ngannou is recovering from knee surgery following a successful title defense against Ciryl Gane at UFC 270.
Ngannou’s fighting future with the UFC is still up in the air; he has publicly discussed the issues surrounding his contract, which he said will run out at the end of the year.
When asked about the future for Ngannou, Nicksick had this to say about a potential clash between Ngannou vs. Jon Jones.
“The fight that makes the most sense is obviously Jon Jones,” Nicksick told MMA Fighting. “That’s the fight we all want. The way I look at it is, Jon Jones has been out for two and a half years. If we can’t do it in December, and depending on the way the UFC schedule plays out, maybe [it can happen] in January or February, somewhere in that timeline.
“Jon hasn’t fought in so long, Stipe hasn’t fought since Francis beat him, so that will be two years for Stipe in March, so might as well wait another month for the super fight and the fight to make. Honestly, for me, I’d love the Stipe fight again, or the Jones fight, but if I had my choice between the two, obviously I want to compete against the best to ever do it, in my opinion, and that’s Jon Jones.”
UFC President Dana White has said he’s met with Ngannou multiple times since the January fight and expressed confidence the promotion will re-sign him.
Following surgery, “The Predator” has also said December or early 2023 could be in play. Ngannou will travel to France for Saturday’s UFC Paris card, where he will likely be taking notes on the bout between his most recent opponent and Tai Tuivasa.
“Once he gets back home and the [UFC Performance Institute] reevaluates him — because he was home for the last month to see where his knee is at — and I speak to [his manager] regularly to see what’s going on with the business side of everything, and I don’t think December is going to be a realistic timeline with where he’s at with the rehab. I think it’s only been five months because he had the surgery in March, so October would be six months for him.”
“With that type of injury, that type of surgery, I think December’s [making] it a little close, to be honest with you. But you never know with this guy, he might just come right back and be ready to go, and you never know what the UFC is going to be putting on our plate, either.”
If Tuivasa can pull off a massive upset, according to the betting lines, on Saturday, Nicksick can see a world where the “Bam Bam” could break through to fight for the title if negotiations between Jones, or Miocic, and the UFC don’t go well.
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