Jon Jones Believes He Has To Survive The First Round To Beat Francis Ngannou

There was a short period of time where many thought a bout between UFC Light Heavyweight Champion Jon Jones and Francis Ngannou would become a reality.

That is not the case at the moment after the UFC and Jones began feuding over the alleged money the fighter was asking for to face Ngannou. Jones believes that if the bout ever did come together, all he would have to do to win is to survive the opening round of the fight against Ngannou.

“Francis Ngannou is dangerous, yes, and I believe he has a chance to knock me the f**k out. Let’s say that out loud,” Jones said on Steve-O’s Wild Ride podcast (via Cole Shelton of BJPenn.com) “But, if I don’t get knocked out, I believe I win that fight. I just have to get through round one and I win that fight.”

Ngannou is known as one of the most violent strikers in the UFC, with eleven of his fifteen wins coming by way of KO/TKO, while Jones has scored ten of his twenty six wins by way of KO/TKO.

Jones also says that his mindset would have to be to get comfortable with the worst case scenario when fighting Ngannou.

“With Francis Ngannou, it is very simple. Get comfortable with the worst-case scenario. The worst-case scenario he knocks you the f**k out, he possibly fractures a bone in your face. That is the worst-case scenario, you get real comfortable with that idea, and then it becomes easy,” Jones said. “If he doesn’t knock you out and break your face, you are smart, fast, you have a chin, you have great head movement, you can wrestle. There are a lot of ways things can play out. So, I just think about the worst-case scenario. [Just] get yourself mentally to a place where you are walking into that. Like, okay, I’m getting ready to go out there and this guy could possibly hurt me tonight.”

A possibility still exists that the fight could come together, but Jones and the UFC would have to come to an agreement first.