Eric Nicksick reveals conversation with Francis Ngannou following tongue-in-cheek UFC return comments

Knockout Chaos - Anthony Joshua v Francis Ngannou: Press Conference — Photo by Richard Pelham/Getty Images

Eric Nicksick continues to learn the rule that in the MMA community, you can say something, and it spirals into something completely different, and that’s what happened with his recent comments about Francis Ngannou.

Speaking with Home of Fight, in an interview conducted by one of Nicksick’s Xtreme Couture teammates of nearly two decades, Ngannou’s head coach said his fighter would be “100 percent” open to a UFC return down the line from a business sense, as Ngannou doesn’t hold any personal grudges against the UFC. Nicksick also commented on the heavyweight division in the UFC, and that turned into questions of, ‘Is Ngannou returning? Could he fight Jon Jones or Tom Aspinall?,’ questions even asked to Dana White at the UFC 316 post-fight press conference.

Nicksick was asked to clarify those comments, and he revealed he spoke to Ngannou as some of the headlines were coming out.

“It was kind of a question of, with fandom, like, what scenarios would be great. Of course I’m always going to say Francis and Jon are the best competition out there,” Nicksick told MMA Fighting. “So Francis texts me like one of those like, just a clickbait [headlined article], and he’s like, ‘Bubba, did you say this? I’m like, ‘No.’

“It was like basically, ‘Francis Ngannou wants back in the UFC.’ That’s all. I’m like, bro, ‘What kind of non-f*cking journalistic post was this, dude?’ It was crazy, but yeah, we had a laugh about it because Francis and I are actually on the phone talking about some other stuff and then he’s like, ‘Oh shit, look, Jones just tweeted,’ so we’re kind of laughing about it.”

Nicksick says Ngannou has been in Las Vegas over the past few weeks and training at Xtreme Couture. As far as what’s next, Nicksick says he’s the wrong guy to ask as he gets the information from Ngannou and his management team after the ink dries on a contract signifying that step.

“[Francis is] just back in the room and just back to training with the fellas, really, but nothing like business wise,” Nicksick said. “That’s why I thought it was kind of funny, it was almost like I was giving away some inside info. I don’t know shit. I’m the guy that, like, legit, bro, it cracks me up. I’m like the guy from Zero Dark Thirty when they just say, ‘Hey, you’re going tonight.’ That’s when I get to find out what we’re doing. They keep me in the dark on everything. …

“I’m a fan of the sport. That’s all. I’m a fan of Tom, I want to see Tom get his shot. He’s earned it, he’s deserved it, but I think the heavyweight division is in a tough place right now. It really is. And that’s just me talking about what can revitalize this division that needs some help, and there’s some options out there. I don’t know Francis’s contract deal with the PFL, I don’t know any of that stuff. That’s just like me and you just chopping it up and I’m telling you how I perceive it and how I see it, and if that option is always available, Francis is a businessman, that’s all I know.”

A potential Jon Jones vs. Francis Ngannou fight would still be massive in 2025, and it certainly would have had huge appeal when the UFC was trying to put the bout together several years back.

Eventually, Ngannou made the choice to head to PFL and vacate the UFC heavyweight title, then went on to compete in two massive, multi-million dollar boxing matches against Tyson Fury and Anthony Joshua. This past October, Ngannou made his PFL debut where he destroyed Renan Ferreira in the first round at Battle of the Giants.

Every MMA fan has their one fight that got away, and for Nicksick, not being able to get Jones vs. Ngannou would be a shame.

“I mean, for me personally, it’s got to be No. 1, but, Randy [Couture] and Fedor [Emelianenko] are up there, too,” Nicksick said. “Obviously I was there for a part of that, but yeah, definitely, I think John and Francis just because of the nostalgia of two heavyweights clashing together. One being the greatest of all time, the other one clamoring to be in that position of one of the greatest heavyweights that ever do it.

“So, yeah, man, I think it ranks up there pretty high.”

Eric Nicksick reveals conversation with Francis Ngannou following tongue-in-cheek UFC return comments

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