It appears that the former UFC title challenger Anthony Johnson believes Jon Jones’ odds in a fight against heavyweight champion Francis Ngannou are better than many believe.
Since the horrific knockout of former heavyweight king Stipe Miocic at UFC 260, it’s clear that the power Ngannou carries is special. While Miocic would last through the first round, “The Predator” eventually stalked the former 2X heavyweight champion like prey until he separated him from his consciousness. Following the madness, former UFC knockout artist Anthony Johnson gave his insight in regards to a potential super fight between Jones and Ngannou.
Anthony Johnson Favors Technique Over Power In Heavyweight Showdown
Scheduled to fight the newly signed Olympian Yoel Romero in his Bellator MMA debut, Anthony Johnson will look to rewrite his career with another title run in a different organization.
The former UFC title challenger discussed with MMA reporter, Helen Yee why he believed Jones’ tactics might be too much for the power-punching Ngannou. In particular, Anthony Johnson used himself as an example to drive the point home.
“I think Jon (Jones) just has to many weapons,” Anthony Johnson told Helen Yee. “His team is great. His IQ is up there. You know he may not… And everybody was so hung-up on just knockouts. You know knockouts by Francis (Ngannou), which I get. I get that. But, there is still more to it than just a knockout. You can be a knockout artist and just get beat up. Like ‘DC’ (Daniel Cormier) isn’t a knockout artist, and he beat me up.”
Anthony Johnson realizes the tactical wherewithal Jones possesses. In addition, pairing those live decision-making skills with a violent repertoire is a recipe for success in the fight world. Interestingly, Johnson made a point to underline that power is not the ultimate determinant for winning despite the recent knockouts that fans have witnessed with Ngannou.
“You know, you don’t have to knock everybody out to be great. Anthony Johnson said. And you know, Jon I think has all of the tools to beat Francis. I won’t say that he will finish him. But I think he can beat Francis. But, if Francis gets that one (punch), it can be a long night. Well, a short night for Jon if he gets hit. But people say that Jon hasn’t been tested, or that his jaw hasn’t been tested. Jon Jones has fought the who’s who of mixed martial arts. People aren’t realizing that. He’s just made it look easy because of his skill. So, I wish people would stop discrediting the man.”
It appears Anthony Johnson believes former light heavyweight kingpin Jones will perform far better than many of the expectations being placed on him. Not to mention on some betting lines the heavyweight champion Ngannou is favored slightly over Jones. However, Johnson believes that jones has been tested in ways that Ngannou has yet to endure. To a degree Anthony Johnson is correct too, given that Jones has sat atop the throne for around ten years, sometimes the proven commodity is the safer bet.
If the potential super fight between Jon Jones and Francis Ngannou materializes, who is your early pick in this mammoth fight? Let us know below!
