Francis Ngannou, the Cameroonian-French powerhouse, recently took on the viral Ashton Hall running challenge. In the clip, Ngannou dashes shirtless down a deserted road, prompting fans to question his conditioning outside the octagon.

Ngannou’s mixed martial arts career is legendary—he holds a pro record of 18‑3 with 13 knockouts, one of which came late last year, when he knocked out Renan Ferreira to clinch the inaugural PFL heavyweight title. This was especially remarkable given that it was his first fight since his win over Ciryl Gane at UFC 270 in January 2022. Regardless, Francis Ngannou made it look easy, showing just why he is rightfully called the Predator. But those same fans who cheered for him after his debut PFL win are having fun at his expense online. Why?

For those who may not know, Ashton Hall is a pretty well-known influencer online. His viral morning routine, which garnered over 750 million views online, where he dunks his face into ice, exercises, rubs banana peel on his face, and then dunks his face into ice again, became a viral meme. The clip also featured him doing treadmill sprints and a pool cooldown swim as part of his daily regimen. Images of him running turned into pure meme gold. Hall’s content immediately drew shade. Some X users and Redditors doubted the authenticity of his routines, claiming they were hyped up for social media clout. Well, what happened afterward is where the fun actually begins.

Riding high on his newfound fame, Hall decided to challenge streamer IShowSpeed for a live-streamed race. Ashton Hall, flexing his football background, boasted he could beat Speed without breaking a sweat. Unfortunately, that is not how it all went down. They battled it out in a series of 50-yard footraces on grass, with Hall running barefoot, and IShowSpeed managed to beat him four times straight, with the clips blowing up across social media. The races sparked wild online chatter, with folks roasting Hall’s performance (with some dubbing him “Ashton Fraud”). This is where Francis Ngannou’s recent clip comes in. Just yesterday, the 38-year-old shared a clip of himself running shirtless down a road on Instagram. And the caption read, “So who want to race?” Though Francis Ngannou might have been trying to jump in on the trend while also flexing his track skills, that is not how the folks on the internet saw it. Many felt Ngannou looked out of shape.

Boxingego reshared the clip with the caption, “With Jon Jones retired Francis Ngannou does the Ashton Hall Challenge, how’s he looking?” After the clip surfaced, social media comments ranged from playful to pointed, with many fans using humor to react to Ngannou’s noticeably bulkier appearance.

Fried chicken and dinner with Klumps: Francis Ngannou faces heat from online critics

One fan confessed they initially mistook Ngannou’s silhouette for Pelicans forward Zion Williamson. “Lol I thought that was Zion Williams at 1st 😂,” remarked the user. The comparison wasn’t random: Williamson, known for his massive build and occasional weight-related discussions, has often been the subject of online jokes. The viewer’s reaction stemmed from Ngannou’s similar frame in the video—broad, heavyset, and visibly far from his shredded UFC days.

Another boxing enthusiast added a humorous jab: “Damn, he had dinner with the Klumps 😂”. This was a pop culture reference to the fictional, plus-sized Klump family from Eddie Murphy’s “The Nutty Professor.” The comment highlighted Ngannou’s weight gain in a theatrical, exaggerated way, tapping into the viewer’s surprise at seeing such a physically dominant fighter appearing less defined.

A more blunt comment came from a user who stated: “Bruh is outta shape 😂😂😂”. This reflected what many viewers likely thought but didn’t say outright. The image of Francis Ngannou sprinting shirtless didn’t align with the conditioned, intimidating force fans are used to seeing in the cage or boxing ring. To them, the video showcased a version of Ngannou who looked far removed from peak fighting form.

Someone else chimed in with, “He need to stop eating”—a slightly sharper jab, suggesting Ngannou’s current look could be due to overindulgence or lack of training. While most likely exaggerated for comic effect, it still echoed a sentiment about fitness expectations for elite athletes.

In keeping with the theme, another viewer quipped: “Too much fried chicken 😂😂😂”. This joke leaned into stereotypes for comedic exaggeration, though it also implied that Ngannou’s diet may be the reason for his slightly softer look.

Lastly, a fan remarked, “Thought it was Ashton when he posted it 😂”. This comment humorously flipped the original context of the video—Ngannou doing the “Ashton Hall Challenge”—by suggesting that he resembled Ashton himself, who’s known for his massive size and awkward running form. Regardless, despite looking slightly out of shape, a few weeks in camp and Francis Ngannou will be back to his old Predator form, we are sure. What about you? Is the criticism valid?