Francis Ngannou admitted he has held on to “a little bit of hope” that the possibility of a fight with Jon Jones could materialise.
Ngannou is due to meet Tyson Fury in the boxing ring on 28 October, in a big money fight due to take place in Saudi Arabia.
Fury is the favourite heading into the clash, but Ngannou has reportedly been working with experts, including former boxer Mike Tyson, to try and find a way to land a knockout blow to the English boxer.
The highly-anticipated bout is schedule for 10 rounds and is a fully professional affair, although Fury’s WBC heavyweight title will not be competed for.
The former UFC heavyweight champion also signed an MMA contract with the PFL this calendar year, but many hope he will take on Jones.
“I don’t know. Maybe he’ll be a special fight, a special belt or something?” Ngannou said regarding a potential fight with Jones on the Joe Rogan Experience.
“Maybe not like a UFC belt. To be honest, I don’t worry about the title. The title is not what I worry about.
“I worry about that fight, that challenge. I wouldn’t care if it was a fight without a title. In my [mind], I don’t need a UFC title. That fight is bigger than a title. The fight is bigger than a title.”
Ngannou added: “Deep inside me, I still have a little bit of hope [about a Jones fight], even though I know it’s gonna be hard. But, you never know.”
Fury has not competed so far this calendar year, and his last bout was when he defended the WBC belt in December 2022 against Derek Chisora.
While Ngannou has never taken part in a professional boxing match, but has 20 professional MMA fights to his name. He reigned as UFC heavyweight champion from March 2021 until January 2023, when he vacated the belt upon leaving the promotion.
