Jones and Ngannou have been going back and forth in recent days despite UFC chief Dana White signaling that a potential superfight between the pair is all but dead due to Jones’ financial demands.

That has not stopped the former longtime 205lbs champion from talking up his chances against Ngannou – who was crowned UFC heavyweight king with an explosive second-round KO of Stipe Miocic at UFC 260 in March.

Jones is bulking up in a bid to compete in the heavyweight fold, and took umbrage at Ngannou after he said he would “take care of” Jones before turning his attentions to world heavyweight boxing champion Tyson Fury.

After warning Ngannou that he would steam through the UFC heavyweight ranks “like dominos”, Jones had yet more words for the Cameroonian KO artist in his latest Twitter outburst. 

“Pray you knock me out because if you don’t, I’m going to break you, and that’s a promise,” Jones wrote to a man who has finished his last five octagon opponents inside the first two rounds.

Ngannou, 34, responded to the threat with disdain, retorting: “Please don’t make me laugh. When is the last time you break somebody out?”

“You’re a decision fighter,” Ngannou added in a subsequent tweet. “And you’ve barely won a fight lately. But you’re going to break me out.”