Jon Jones took exception to Ariel Helwani utilizing his title throughout an interview with Francis Ngannou on Monday’s version of The MMA Hour.
Following his spectacular skilled boxing debut towards Tyson Fury in Riyadh, Ngannou joined Helwani on the present to debate his closely-contested cut up determination loss to ‘The Gypsy King’ and what might probably come subsequent for the previous UFC star. In the course of the course of their dialog, Helwani requested if ‘The Predator’ had a message for any of his naysayers, particularly naming UFC CEO Dana White and the promotions’ reigning heavyweight titleholder Jon Jones.
“And Jon Jones, too, was saying you had been wanting – and take a look at you now, proper? Lots of people had been throwing stones your manner,” Helwani mentioned. “It wasn’t simply Dana. I do know he will get loads of the eye, however lots of people weren’t backing you. Fighters weren’t backing you and that, to me, was the half that bothered me probably the most.”
Helwani by no means fairly completed his thought when referencing Jon Jones, however that was greater than sufficient to get the eye of ‘Bones’ who provided up a scathing response to the MMA Hour host.
“And Jon Jones says you had been wanting what? You’re such a backstabbing s**t talker bro and also you surprise why I haven’t given you an interview in years @arielhelwani,” Jones wrote in response to the clip.
Helwani shortly responded to Jones’ inquiry and referred to an early 2023 interview with RMC Sport the place ‘Bones’ instructed that Ngannou wasn’t keen to gamble on himself by turning down the UFC’s record-breaking provide, thus stopping a long-awited conflict between the 2.
“I don’t suppose I deserve any criticism,” Jones mentioned. “I’m right here. I’m right here. Francis had the chance to face me and he opted out of the chance. If anybody must be criticized, it’s Francis Ngannou. If I’m appropriate, he was provided the most important contract in heavyweight historical past. He had the chance to be a man to dethrone me. He didn’t imagine in himself. Francis didn’t imagine in himself. He wasn’t keen to gamble on himself” (h/t MMA Combating).
That definitely didn’t age nicely.
Jon Jones Feedback on Francis Ngannou’s Efficiency towards Tyson Fury
In a follow-up put up, Jon Jones was complimentary of Ngannou’s efficiency towards Tyson Fury saying, “I assumed he did nice, I’m glad the combat was aggressive. Opens so many doorways for everybody sooner or later.”
Earlier than signing on the dotted line for a combat with Ngannou, Tyson Fury beforehand revealed that the UFC had made him a proposal to combat Jon Jones in a hybrid-rules bout beneath the UFC banner. Maybe sometime we’ll see ‘Bones sq. off with ‘The Gypsy King’ in a hoop or the cage, however for now, we’ll must accept the heavyweight champ choosing fights with Ariel Helwani on social media whereas he heals up from his pectoral tear.
