Eric Nicksick clarifies comments on Francis Ngannou’s UFC return

Francis Ngannou’s caput coach, Eric Nicksick, has erstwhile again proven however 1 connection tin rapidly instrumentality connected a wholly antithetic meaning successful the MMA satellite and spark a batch of speculation. It each started with his comments to Home of Fight, erstwhile helium stressed that his combatant “100 percent” would see a instrumentality to the UFC for concern reasons, and that determination were nary idiosyncratic issues betwixt him and the promotion.

That connection rapidly sparked a batch of speculation astir a imaginable instrumentality for Ngannou, fights against Jon Jones oregon Tom Aspinall, and adjacent questions directed astatine Dana White aft UFC 316. Nicksick aboriginal explained that his effect was much hypothetical, from the position of fans who privation to spot absorbing fights.

“Francis sent maine 1 of those clickbait headlines and said, ‘Dude, did you accidental that?’ I said, ‘I didn’t. What a journalistic nonsense.’ We laughed astir it portion we were commenting connected Jones tweeting something,” Nicksick told MMA Fighting.

Ngannou has been grooming again astatine Xtreme Couture successful caller weeks, but the trainer insists helium has nary factual plans to return. “Francis is conscionable successful the gym grooming with the guys, thing more. People deliberation I person wrong information, but I don’t cognize thing until they archer maine I’m traveling tonight.”

Nicksick talks astir the heavyweight division

Nicksick believes the heavyweight part is successful a unsocial concern close present and needs immoderate other momentum. 

“Francis is simply a concern antheral and helium knows what to bash if the close accidental arises. I don’t cognize the contractual details with the PFL, but determination are ever options,” the trainer says.

A Jones-Ngannou combat would beryllium a spectacle for MMA fans, but it has been tried to beryllium arranged for years without success. Nicksick sees it arsenic 1 of the top missed matches successful the past of the sport. 

“It’s a clash of the greats – 1 of the top of each clip against idiosyncratic who is heading for the apical of the heavyweight division.”