It's hard to argue against that , And I'm vying for the top spot as the best heavyweight in the sport, but who is actually the best fighter in this division right now?
Experienced analyst admits that the answer to this question is much harder to answer than you might think, especially when you consider the unique skills each individual brings to a fight. While Jones currently holds the “undisputed” UFC heavyweight title after victories And Hardy argues that his overall greatness cannot be questioned, but his status as the division's best fighter definitely deserves scrutiny.
“I think Jon Jones is the best pound-for-pound,” Hardy told MMA Fighting. “I think he is the best representation of mixed martial arts in general that we have ever seen. I think he's still evolving, which is scary. But is he the best heavyweight in the world right now? I do not believe that.
“I think Aspinall vs Ngannou winner would be the answer… no disrespect to Jon. Current heavyweight champion, but not the best heavyweight in the world right now. Certainly not.”
As good as Jones has been throughout his career, he has only had two fights at heavyweight and Hardy knows that fighters like Aspinall and Ngannou present issues that he simply hasn't addressed since switching divisions.
Hardy believes that both Aspinall and Ngannou have special abilities that make them particularly difficult puzzles to solve in the heavyweight division, which is why he places them at the top of his personal rankings.
“You play these three fights out in any order and in any scenario, whether it's in the octagon or the SmartCage or a boxing ring or whatever, they play out differently every time,” Hardy said. “The reality is that Tom Aspinall is the fastest of all three. That makes him very, very dangerous in the heavyweight division because speed kills in the heavyweight division.
“The big difference when athletes started moving into the heavyweight class, etc Back then, you looked at these guys and they looked like a welterweight that had been bulked up to the right proportions. That's the scary thing about Tom Aspinall. What was he on the scale? 254 [pounds]? He's at the top of the heavyweight division and has no fat on him. The same goes for Francis Ngannou. So physical copies, I would say Jon Jones is at the bottom.”
However, Hardy praises Jones for his immense experience and fight IQ, but sometimes even that isn't enough when you're up against a fast, powerful heavyweight like Aspinall or a human destruction machine like Ngannou who can snuff out the life of any single punch .
“Jon Jones’ creativity and wisdom, fight IQ comes first,” Hardy said. “I just wonder if he has that ability at heavyweight with someone as fast as Tom Aspinall and someone as powerful as Francis Ngannou. There were times when Stipe [Miocic] landed [on Jones at ] And I think if Ngannou lands those shots, Jon Jones won't get back up.
“I also think Tom Aspinall's speed would allow him to land shots against Jon Jones and Ngannou that those two guys wouldn't have expected and wouldn't be able to stop. The question is whether he would be able to do enough damage to take them out. I don't know. I have seen Francis achieve some great successes. I know he was obviously knocked out But at the same time, you're talking about an elite boxer who is also an incredible athlete. I mean, it’s just so hard to pick one.”
While there's still a chance Aspinall could face Jones in the future to answer at least one of those questions, Ngannou remains the underdog because he's struggling in the PFL.
After demolition In October, Ngannou once again has no clear choice for his next opponent and does not know who he will face next.
Ngannou could potentially face the winner of the upcoming 2024 PFL Championship when they take on Russia at 19-1 takes over But it's safe to say that one of them would be a significant underdog against The Predator.
Hardy understands the argument against Ngannou when it comes to the level of competition, but hopes the PFL continues to look for talent that will allow the organization's biggest free agent signing in history to at least reach the top of the heavyweight division Maintaining a stranglehold.
“It's a real challenge and above my pay grade as I'm just the head of fighter jets for Europe,” Hardy said of Ngannou's next opponent. “Of course the heavyweight championship that lies ahead will determine a contender. We also have those like [Vadim] Nemkov at heavyweight, that could be a very interesting problem.
“'Reug Reug' [] Ngannou exclaimed, that would be an interesting cross-promotion with ONE Championship and I'm speaking as a fan. I don't make decisions like that, but if it were up to me, I would be open to a “Reug Reug” crossover fight, especially if we could carry it out in Africa. That would be incredible.”
