Jake Paul isn’t just looking for his next opponent. He’s looking for a statement. And in his mind, Francis Ngannou fits that role perfectly. After going six rounds with Anthony Joshua in his last outing, Paul has started to lean into a new narrative that he belongs in conversations with heavyweights, despite leaving the ring with a broken jaw. So when Ngannou’s name came up again, it wasn’t framed as a challenge. It was framed as an opportunity. Speaking to Sky Sports Boxing, ‘The Problem Child’ didn’t hold back.

“I think most recently, Francis Ngannou was talking a lot of smack,” Paul said. “I think that’s a easy fight for me, I think he’s a terrible boxer, I maybe want to go back up to heavyweight and knock him out like Joshua did, render him unconscious. And he knows I lasted longer than him against Joshua, didn’t get put out. I think he maybe wouldn’t do the fight because I think deep down he would not want to get embarrassed. To me that’s a fun one on the list.”

For added context, Ngannou dropped Tyson Fury in his boxing debut and arguably pushed one of the best heavyweights in the world to the edge over ten rounds in the split-decision loss. Yes, he was stopped by Joshua in two rounds. But that’s Anthony Joshua, a former unified champion with years of high-level boxing experience and dynamite in his gloves.

Paul, meanwhile, made it into the sixth before getting stopped. That’s a fair point statistically, as he himself pointed out, but it doesn’t necessarily mean he’s operating at the same level technically or stylistically. In fact, this isn’t the first time this matchup has been brought up.

In 2025, reports emerged that Paul’s MVP (Most Valuable Promotions) had reached out to ‘The Predator’ for talks about a fight, but Ngannou had turned it down. In fact, he outright rejected the idea with, “I mean, don’t disrespect me like that… I’m just not interested, it makes no sense for me. It’s not what I’m looking at right now.”

At the same time, Jake Paul understands the business. This fight isn’t just about rankings or belts. It’s about attention. Ngannou brings credibility from both MMA and boxing. Paul brings audience, promotion, and a track record of turning unconventional matchups into major events. And despite the former UFC star’s earlier hesitation, he seems to be warming up to the matchup now that he’s taking a fight under the MVP banner!

Francis Ngannou is more interested in “beating” Jake Paul than just “fighting” him

The tone shifted when both men finally shared the same stage. Not in a ring, but at a press conference promoting Most Valuable Promotions’ upcoming Rousey vs Carano Netflix card. And suddenly, this wasn’t just Jake Paul talking anymore. Francis Ngannou had a microphone too. When asked directly about the matchup, Ngannou didn’t exactly play along with the narrative.

“I’m not interested in fighting Jake Paul [in the ring],” he said first, before quickly adding a twist, “I’m interested in beating his a–.”

Ngannou is returning to MMA on May 16 against Philipe Lins in a five-round heavyweight bout. It’ll be his first MMA fight since October 2024, when he defeated Renan Ferreira at PFL Super Fights. Paul, though, isn’t letting go of the storyline. Even coming off his own knockout loss to Joshua, a sixth-round stoppage that left him with a broken jaw and two surgeries, he’s still pushing forward.

“I’m always down,” he said, claiming Ngannou previously avoided the matchup and adding, “Just know you’d get worked in boxing.”

Ngannou didn’t hold back on that either. He called Paul “a little disrespectful,” suggesting the way negotiations were handled earlier played a role in his rejecting the fight in the first place. But now? The tone has changed.

“I really didn’t want to fight you but now I really want to beat you,” he said. “There is a difference. That’s why I made the statement I did – to just beat you up.”

So maybe the real takeaway isn’t whether Francis Ngannou is “ducking” or whether Jake Paul is overreaching. It’s that the door, which once looked firmly shut, is now slightly open. Do you think they’ll square off in the boxing ring in the future? Or will it be an MMA fight? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below!