Francis Ngannou opens as betting favorite vs. Jon Jones, Daniel Cormier in potential fights

Who’s next for Francis Ngannou?

That question has been one of the hottest topics in the mixed martial arts world since Ngannou made a statement with a 20-second knockout of Jairzinho Rozenstruik at UFC 249.

That made it four straight knockout wins over top-notch competition for Ngannou, with the longest fight in the streak lasting 1:11. While Ngannou’s logical next fight would seem to be a matchup with UFC heavyweight champion Stipe Miocic, things are rarely that simple.

Miocic is expected to meet Daniel Cormier in a trilogy fight, but there’s been public push-and-pull between Miocic and UFC president Dana White, mostly centered on Miocic’s desire to be able to train like a professional athlete while also serving as a first responder during the coronavirus pandemic.

With that in mind, two other options have captured fans’ imagination: One, an interim title matchup between Ngannou and former UFC heavyweight and light heavyweight champion Daniel Cormier, should Miocic stay sidelined. The other, which has picked up steam in recent days, would find UFC light heavyweight champion Jon Jones coming up a weight class to take on Ngannou, a bout for which Jones has ramped up a public campaign.

As it turns out, the money types seem to think Ngannou is the likely winner in both scenarios. But not by much in either case

Per online sports book BetOnline.ag, Ngannou has opened as the favorite in both potential fights. Ngannou is a -130 favorite in a matchup against Jones, who is a +150 underdog. This means one would have to bet $130 on Ngannou to win $100, while a $100 bet on Jones would pay out $150.

Against Cormier, who unlike Jones has already proven he can get the job done at heavyweight, the odds are closer: Ngannou is a -140 favorite, with Cormier the +120 underdog.

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