Francis Ngannou once felt ‘disrespected’ by the suggestion he could share the ring with Jake Paul.
‘The Predator’ has competed in boxing twice since leaving the UFC in 2023. After Ngannou almost beat Tyson Fury, he was brutally knocked out by Anthony Joshua to move to 0-2 in the sport.
The former UFC heavyweight champion has returned to MMA since then, most recently last Saturday. At the sport’s very first event to air on Netflix, Ngannou knocked out Philipe Lins in round one.
What comes next for the Cameroonian remains to be seen, but a long-discussed showdown with ‘The Problem Child’ could be on the cards.
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Francis Ngannou says he needs to ‘handle’ Jake Paul
When the Gervonta Davis exhibition bout collapsed, Joshua stepped in to face Paul on late notice last December. Before ‘AJ’ got the call, though, the assignment was offered to Ngannou.
Rather than embracing the chance to hand the ex-Disney star his first knockout loss, Ngannou felt disrespected by Paul’s offer given everything he’s achieved in combat sports.
A few months later, however, the former UFC champ has reconsidered.
Speaking to Sky Sports News at the start of May, Ngannou explained why he is having second thoughts about boxing Paul down the line.
“At first, I wasn’t so excited (about fighting him),” Ngannou said.
“I wasn’t looking into that, but I think at some point I need to handle him.
“I think I can kick his ass, if I might say so,” he added.
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Photo by Patrick T. Fallon / AFP via Getty Images
Paul has lost twice as a professional, having dropped a decision to Tommy Fury just under three years before falling to Joshua’s punches.
With Ngannou targeting a third boxing match, perhaps he will look to make the Cleveland native his first victory inside the ring.
Even while ‘El Gallo’ promoted the MMA star’s clash against Lins on Netflix, the pair still traded barbs during fight week.
Paul mocked Ngannou’s loss to Joshua, having avoided also being rendered unconscious by the former world heavyweight champion.
2026-05-22 01:00:00
