PFL champion Francis Ngannou had a close eye on what unfolded when Jon Jones and Stipe Miocic finally shared the Octagon this past weekend.
Over a year on from their originally scheduled fight date, Jones and Miocic collided inside the prestigious surroundings of Madison Square Garden on Saturday night, with the former putting his heavyweight title on the line for the first time at UFC 309.
Those who feared a difficult night at the office for the returning former champion, who hadn’t competed in three and a half years, had their worries come to fruition.
After a difficult first round in which he was taken down and battered with elbows, Miocic was eventually finished in round three when a brutal spinning side kick to the body sent him to the canvas.
The result saw Jones add a successful heavyweight defense to his already illustrious résumé, and that unsurprisingly drew a reaction from a man he’s long gone back and forth with.
Taking to X with his reaction moments after the main event concluded, Ngannou returned the favor by repeating the “I see you” line Jones posted in response to the Cameroonian’s winning debut under the PFL banner last month.
“Jones looked great out there tonight,” Ngannou wrote. “Congrats Jonny boy. I see you (wink)”
While a possible showdown between Jones and Ngannou looks set to enter the “what if” realm of matchups, “The Predator” had a lengthier address for a man whom he has thrown down with — twice.
Following his defeat in New York City, Miocic announced his retirement, and Ngannou was among those paying tribute to the former two-time heavyweight king on social media.
“Thank you, champion @stipemiocic, for all you’ve done for our sport and, above all, for the class you embody and the example you set,” Ngannou wrote. “I’m grateful for how our battles have shaped me into a better fighter; those moments taught me more than years in the sport. Enjoy your well-earned retirement and best wishes for all your future endeavors.”
Miocic faced MMA’s hardest hitter twice in the UFC, first outpointing Ngannou to become the first man to beat him in the Octagon at UFC 220.
Three years later, the pair renewed hostilities at the Apex, where “The Predator” got his redemption and crowning moment in violent fashion.
