Ngannou still wants to fight Jones

UFC heavyweight champion Francis Ngannou said that he still wants to face former light heavyweight king John Jones in the Octagon, but is willing to defend his belt from any challenger.

“If you ask me who I would fight with, I will name Jones. But we all know that Jones is not going to perform, and I do not want to sit and wait for him. This shouldn't affect my schedule. I want to fight, and as a champion I want to defend my title. That's all.

"In the end, the opponent doesn't matter. The order of the opponents is not important. If they are legitimate contenders, then you must fight them. It's not your choice,” Ngannou said in an interview with Sirius XM.

Ngannou's next opponent is expected to be the interim title winner between Derrick Lewis and Ciryl Gane, which will take place on August 7 at UFC 265 in Houston.