Francis Ngannou picks Sipe Miocic to upset Jon Jones
At UFC 295, Jon Jones looks to defend the UFC heavyweight championship against Stipe Miocic, but Francis Ngannou believes the champion will lose his belt.
Ngannou predicted the bout in an interview with Shakiel Mahjouri of CBS Sports. All quotes via The Score.
“Stylistically, Stipe,” Ngannou told CBS Sports’ Shakiel Mahjouri. “I fought Stipe twice, and I think Stipe doesn’t have the credit that he deserves. Obviously, I won the second time, but still, I know that I could’ve even lost that time. I know how good he is as a fighter. He fought (Daniel Cormier) three times, and you can see how he fought.”
In 2021, Miocic lost his title to Ngannou after the challenger landed a massive shot in the second round. That loss combined with his inactivity has resulted in a drop in public perception.
It seems like Ngannou is one of the few people who believes Miocic can get the job done. At the moment, Jones is around a -400 favorite across various sportsbooks. The return on Miocic sits close to +300.
Ngannou cited the size difference between the two as one of the reasons he believes Miocic can get the job done.
“This is heavyweight, and I think it’s slightly different than light heavyweight,” he said. “I agree that Jon Jones is the best in the light heavyweight, but I think in the heavyweight, he definitely gets some challenge.”
Miocic will provide Jones with some challenges in the octagon. The former champion has plans to upset Jones and cited his size as a reason.
As far as skills go, Miocic has shown that his boxing is backed up with an effective grappling defense. That could present Jones with some issues.
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