Francis Ngannou made it clear he has little interest in a boxing match with Jake Paul after the two exchanged words during a press conference in Los Angeles announcing Most Valuable Promotions’ upcoming MMA event. The May 16 show, which will stream on Netflix, will mark MVP’s debut in mixed martial arts.
During the press conference, host Ariel Helwani asked Ngannou whether he would consider facing the influencer-turned-boxer in the ring. The former UFC heavyweight champion dismissed the idea but left little doubt about his feelings toward Paul.
“I’m not interested in fighting Jake Paul,” Ngannou said before adding, “Listen, I’m not done. I’m interested in beating his ass.”
Ngannou will instead return to MMA on the May 16 card at the Intuit Dome in Inglewood, California, where he is scheduled to face Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu specialist Philipe Lins in a five-round heavyweight bout. The event will be headlined by a 145-pound catchweight contest between Ronda Rousey and Gina Carano.
The fight will mark Ngannou’s first appearance since October 2024. He previously attempted a move into boxing, first pushing Tyson Fury close in October 2023 before suffering a second-round knockout loss to Anthony Joshua in March 2024.
Paul, who also lost by knockout to Joshua last December, responded to Ngannou’s comments by saying he would welcome the matchup. The YouTuber-turned-fighter suggested the Cameroonian avoided a potential boxing bout previously and claimed he would outperform Ngannou in the ring.
Ngannou rejected that characterization and accused Paul of being disrespectful during negotiations. While he said he originally had no desire to fight Paul, the heated exchange at the press conference left open the possibility of a future clash between the two.
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