{"id":562709,"date":"2026-03-25T05:55:13","date_gmt":"2026-03-25T05:55:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/562709\/"},"modified":"2026-03-25T05:55:13","modified_gmt":"2026-03-25T05:55:13","slug":"francis-ngannou-performs-wild-180-on-possible-jake-paul-fight","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/562709\/","title":{"rendered":"Francis Ngannou Performs Wild 180 on Possible Jake Paul Fight"},"content":{"rendered":"

Francis Ngannou seemingly thinks completely differently about boxing<\/a> Jake Paul now as he did before.<\/p>\n

There was a recent time in which the former UFC heavyweight champion, Ngannou, appeared to bristle at the mere notion of being speculatively linked with a Paul fight \u2014 official, crossover, or otherwise. <\/p>\n

Paul, via Most Valuable Promotions, approached Ngannou about a fight at the time they were canceling the Gervonta \u2018Tank\u2019 Davis exhibition on Netflix after the lightweight boxer\u2019s mounting legal issues. Ngannou, speaking to TMZ Sports at the time, said he was \u201cinsulted\u201d at the offer, asking rhetorically how a serious outfit can go from picking the 5-foot-5 Tank as an opponent, to Ngannou, who is a foot taller. MVP and Paul went with Anthony Joshua in the end, who fractured the internet sensation\u2019s jaw in two places.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt makes no sense,\u201d he said, to TMZ, about their movements.<\/p>\n

\u201cDon\u2019t disrespect me like that. I\u2019m not interested.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ngannou returns to an MMA cage for only the second time since leaving the UFC when, on May 16, he fights Philipe Lins in Los Angeles on an MVP card that features trailblazers Ronda Rousey and Gina Carano atop the Netflix card.<\/p>\n

Stranger things have happened than to not think Ngannou could be thinking differently about a Paul fight now that he\u2019s competing in a Paul event.<\/p>\n

At first, he conceded he regarded Paul as \u201cjust some YouTube guy\u201d but that he\u2019s no longer just a creator, but a legitimate force \u2014 just not, perhaps, a force to be reckoned with regardless of whether the arena is a cage or a ring.<\/p>\n

\u201cI just feel like I need to give him some slaps,\u201d Ngannou told TMZ. \u201cThat\u2019s just how I feel, you know, like slapping him off.\u201d<\/p>\n

It is unclear when Paul will return to the ring, but he has been linked with fights against Tommy Fury, KSI, and Ryan Garcia.<\/p>\n

WHAT TO READ NEXT:<\/p>\n

Alan Dawson is Boxing Social’s editor.
\n
\nHe is also a columnist for Uncrowned at Yahoo Sport, a TV host for Swerve Combat, and the founder-moderator of Boxing Twitter \u2014 a 20,000-strong community on X.
\n
\nA 17-year sports media veteran, Alan has enjoyed extensive stints at Business Insider as a correspondent, BT Sport as digital editor, and Give Me Sport as combat sports editor.
\n
\nHe is a 2-time Sports Journalist of the Year finalist and has been honored six times by the Boxing Writers Association of America.
\n
\nAlan grew up near London but is based in Nevada with his young family. Outside boxing he plays 8-handicap golf, hikes, and rides his ebike through the Sierra mountain trails.<\/p>\n

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