Jon Jones gives Francis Ngannou credit for almost beating Tyson Fury in boxing

Jon Jones was highly impressed by Francis Ngannou‘s performance in his boxing match against Tyson Fury.

In his first-ever boxing match this past weekend, Ngannou faced off against Fury and, although he didn’t come out the winner, the former UFC heavyweight champion exceeded expectations by delivering a powerful left hook that caused a knockdown in the third round. Ngannou then held his own against Fury for 10 rounds, with the split decision ultimately favoring Fury.

The fact that one of the judges scored the fight in Ngannou’s favor is a noteworthy accomplishment that hasn’t escaped the attention of Jones, both in terms of competition and the larger implications.

“I thought he did great,” Jones posted Monday night on X in response to a question from one of his followers. “I’m glad the fight was competitive. It opens up so many possibilities for everyone in the future.”

These comments from Jones about Ngannou’s performance may come as a surprise given their history. Jones, the current UFC heavyweight champion, has not spoken favorably about Ngannou since their potential fight in the octagon became impossible following Jones’ departure from the UFC. When Ngannou left the UFC earlier this year to join the PFL, he vacated the heavyweight title, which Jones claimed in March with a first-round submission victory against Ciryl Gane.

Since then, Jones and Ngannou have engaged in exchanges on social media and have even confronted each other in person to determine who deserves the title of the “Baddest Man on the Planet” in MMA.

Jones, who is 36 years old, could have strengthened his argument by defeating former UFC champion Stipe Miocic, but their anticipated UFC 295 headliner was canceled after Jones suffered a pectoral injury in training.

For more information on this matchup, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for Fury vs. Ngannou.

Story originally appeared on MMA Junkie