Francis Ngannou has finally agreed to face Jake Paul. After the former UFC heavyweight champion exited his contract with the PFL, Paul’s MVP promotion signed him to take on Philipe Lins on May 16 in Inglewood, California, as part of the Ronda Rousey vs. Gina Carano card, which will stream live on Netflix. Meanwhile, Paul had been actively trying to lure the Cameroonian star into a boxing match. 

“I’m definitely going to keep on fighting. We will see how the jaw continues to heal up… Francis Ngannou was talking a lot of smack,” Paul said about facing Ngannou. “I think that’s an easy fight for me. I think he’s a terrible boxer, and I want to go back up to heavyweight and knock him out [as] Joshua did, and render him unconscious. And he knows I lasted longer than him against Joshua and didn’t get put out.  

“So I think he maybe wouldn’t do the fight because I think deep down he wouldn’t want, would not want to get embarrassed.”

Anthony Joshua has defeated both Jake Paul and Francis Ngannou. In Ngannou’s second boxing match, Joshua knocked out Ngannou in March 2024 in the second round. Paul’s loss to Joshua came in November last year when the Brit broke Paul’s jaw in two places by knocking him out in the sixth round of their fight. In any case, the callout from Paul didn’t quite sit well with Francis Ngannou, who appeared in an interview with Ariel Helwani. 

“Let’s just say he’s being Jake,” Ngannou said, reacting to Paul’s callout. “I don’t really know what to say about it. He’s always been like that… [He] keeps being pushy and says all these things like, which is the same thing that he’s saying now. Now I’m used to it. But back then, that was like the first time he was coming out with it. 

When asked directly whether he is interested in fighting Paul next, Ngannou said, “I want to.”

It’s also worth noting that before settling on a fight against Joshua in November, Jake Paul’s team had approached Francis Ngannou. However, the Cameroonian refused and broadcast his decision in an interview with TMZ Sports. He felt disrespected by the idea of Jake Paul thinking he could fight him, but now that feeling appears to have vanished. 

Paul even showed up for Ngannou’s launch press conference earlier this month, where the two exchanged barbs. Paul claimed Ngannou avoided a fight against him. Regardless, this comes after Ngannou made a difficult confession about Jake Paul.

Francis Ngannou claims he respects Jake Paul, but wants to slap him

According to a report from TMZ Sports, Ngannou insists he respects Jake Paul, but there’s clearly tension beneath the surface. The former UFC heavyweight champion acknowledged Paul’s growth in boxing, admitting he once saw him as “just some YouTube guy.” Now, however, Ngannou recognizes the shift in perception. 

“When you talk about Jake Paul, they talk about him like a boxer,” Ngannou said.

Despite that respect, Ngannou hasn’t appreciated Paul’s recent comments, including accusations that he avoided a fight. The criticism appears to have struck a nerve. 

“I just feel like I need to give him some slaps,” Ngannou said. “That’s just how I feel… like slapping him off.”

Francis Ngannou’s sudden show of respect for Jake Paul may have more to do with business than admiration. With millions already on the table from the promotion, and even bigger paydays possible if a fight materializes, the Cameroonian star has a clear financial incentive to keep things cordial. 

Now that he’s openly expressed interest in facing Paul, this shift in tone could be a strategic move—less about genuine respect and more about positioning himself for an even more lucrative deal. In that sense, it looks like Ngannou might be cozying up just enough to secure a bigger paycheck down the line. After all, the UFC’s not taking him back.

That being said, it appears a big fight is being set up between Francis Ngannou and Jake Paul. But wouldn’t it be funny if Ngannou ends up losing to Lins? Do you think Paul can beat Ngannou?