All of a sudden, from “Why,” it’s become “Who,” and, to a lesser extent, “When.” A fresh bout of legal troubles has left Gervonta Davis’s appearance in the November 14 exhibition hanging by a thread. The lightweight champion was scheduled to meet Jake Paul for a ten-round friendly at the Kaseya Center in Miami. However, the latest allegations of domestic violence have now put the MVP-PBC card in jeopardy. Inevitably, this unexpected turn of events has the organizers, Paul and Co., searching for a new dance partner.

An impressive roster of names has been doing the rounds. From the boxing world, Ryan Garcia and Anthony Joshua top the list. Edgar Berlanga’s name also appeared. However, it’s the mention of Francis Ngannou that has taken a few by surprise. The former UFC heavyweight champion has already dipped his hands in the squared circle. So a match with Jake Paul shouldn’t be shocking, especially if one heeds what a few MMA pundits believe.

Momentum building for Jake Paul vs. Francis Ngannou

The conversation on Submission Radio took an interesting turn when host Denis Shkuratov asked a panel consisting of MMA reporters Jed Meshew and Jose Youngs about the fate of the Jake Paul-Tank Davis fight. “There’s some commotion around the Tank Davis fight with Jake Paul. People are saying it’s not happening,” he said, before adding that Francis Ngannou’s name had started doing the rounds.

Youngs shared that he had come across reports mentioning Anthony Joshua, Ryan Garcia, and Edgar Berlanga. Terence Crawford’s name also cropped up. However, considering the ongoing talks between Garcia and champion Mario Barrios and the broadcast tie-up issues, given that both Garcia and Joshua fight on DAZN while Paul is now a Netflix fixture, the likelihood of those matchups appears slim.

And just when Nate Diaz’s name seemed to gain traction, Francis Ngannou’s name appeared out of nowhere. Expressing optimism over the potential Ngannou-Paul matchup, partly due to PFL links, Jose Youngs explained, “I feel like PFL and Jake have that relationship. Whatever it is, no one really knows. So maybe there’s a negotiation to be done with them, and that gets done a bit quicker.”

In fact, that’s the fight he says he’s looking forward to. Not to mention, financially it could be much cheaper than what the Gervonta Davis matchup might have cost.

Paul’s dilemma: Ngannou or Joshua in the opposite corner?

Earlier, Chris Mannix shared an update suggesting that the Jake Paul card might shift to a December date. Eminent boxing insider Mike Coppinger followed up with a tweet mentioning Francis Ngannou and Nate Diaz as additional alternates.

Ngannou currently holds PFL’s heavyweight championship. The fight promotion has a multi-faceted relationship with Jake Paul. So given Ngannou’s boxing experience and weight class, a match between the two stars sounds feasible. A recent tweet from iFL TV seemed to confirm Shkuratov and Young’s speculation: “It’s being reported that former UFC champ Francis Ngannou has been approached to replace Gervonta Davis and face Jake Paul on Nov. 14 😮.”

But one can’t ignore the subtle hints dropped by Eddie Hearn either. Speaking about Anthony Joshua, whom Jake Paul had called out earlier this year, the Matchroom boss hinted at a possible December return. Joshua has yet to step into the ring following his knockout loss to Daniel Dubois last September. He subsequently underwent shoulder surgery, which made his comeback uncertain.

However, as in Ryan Garcia’s case, much depends on DAZN’s comfort. “AJ is exclusive to DAZN, so without DAZN’s consent or blessing or a deal that DAZN is happy with, we wouldn’t go forward anyway,” Hearn told iFL TV.

For now, fans should keep an eye on this space as further updates surface. After all, even Claressa Shields’ name has entered the mix!

Who, in your view, makes for the best matchup against Jake Paul?