Jake Paul has spent years becoming one of combat sports’ easiest punchlines. Whether it was the constant criticism over fighting retired MMA names, the outrage for bringing a 58-year-old Mike Tyson back into the spotlight, or the never-ending discussion over whether his boxing career was ever “real,” Paul has heard every joke imaginable.

So when an old Disney co-star chose to land another one on live television, he did something unexpected: he laughed about it. And that co-star was none other than Olivia Rodrigo, who used her Saturday Night Live monologue to reflect on their time together on Bizaardvark.

Rodrigo said that although she wanted to make meaningful music about the complexities of growing up, her co-star’s vision was much simpler.

“We’d always talk about our futures, me and Jake,” she said. “I’d say, ‘I really want to create music that explores the complexities of girls my age.’ And he’d say, ‘Well, one day I really want to beat up old guys on Netflix.’ And we both did it. Hurray.”

It was a strong line, clearly aimed at the unusual path that turned ‘The Problem Child’ from a YouTuber to one of boxing’s most talked-about figures. However, Jake Paul refused to turn it into drama. Instead, he leaned into the joke.

“We had the vision 😂,” he wrote on X. “I told you that you would sell stadiums out, and then we both did🤯 proud of you fr.”

Even when fans reminded him that he was the butt of the joke, the former Disney star simply shrugged it off.

“I got that she was making a joke at my expense,” he responded to a fans’ tweet. “So what? She’s on SNL, and that’s what they are supposed to do.

“Doesn’t change my admiration of her and her success.”

That response reveals a lot about where Jake Paul is right now. He understands exactly what people think of his boxing resume, but ‘The Problem Child’ also knows he is still relevant in a manner that few fighters ever are. And maybe that is the bigger picture here.

While his days of headline-grabbing freak-show fights may be numbered after his crushing defeat to Anthony Joshua, Jake Paul is quietly creating something bigger. He is now promoting major combat events with Most Valuable Promotions, including Ronda Rousey‘s return against Gina Carano.

And even if he plans to return to fight as an active fighter anytime soon, he already has a former UFC heavyweight champion backing him. Because if you ask Francis Ngannou, he refuses to entertain the underdog narrative that always surrounds Jake Paul. If anything, he refuses to call ‘The Problem Child’ an easy fight in boxing.

Francis Ngannou won’t underestimate Jake Paul in a potential one-on-one

For all of the jokes that continue to surround Jake Paul, one thing has quietly changed: real fighters are beginning to see him as a serious challenge. That may seem surprising for a man whose boxing resume has sparked unending debate, but respect in combat sports is often earned in unusual ways.

According to Francis Ngannou, dismissing ‘The Problem Child’ would be a mistake many have already made before. That is what makes Ngannou’s position interesting. He didn’t dismiss the idea of sharing a ring with ‘The Problem Child,’ nor did he portray it as an easy payoff.

“I never take a fight as an easy fight,” he told the Schmo. “Don’t (make that) mistake. And you also have to understand that he has faith and he believes in himself.

“We have counted him out so many times and then (been) wrong.”

‘The Predator’ understands what confidence can do to a fighter—and no matter what others think of Jake Paul, belief has never been something he lacked. And perhaps that is why a future battle between them is so enticing. Both men understand what it’s like to be violently humbled by Anthony Joshua; both have conquered worlds few expected them to, and both have immense drawing power outside of traditional boxing circles.

‘The Problem Child’ has openly criticized Francis Ngannou’s technical boxing abilities, but Ngannou’s response is colder: measured respect, no underestimating, and quiet confidence in his own destruction. If that fight occurs, Jake Paul may finally get what he has long desired: a matchup where nobody can claim the danger was staged.