Jake Paul Goes Nuclear on Francis Ngannou Ahead of Netflix Clash
If you had told me five years ago that we’d be watching a Disney Channel star fight a former Unified Heavyweight Champion on the same app where I binge Stranger Things, I would have asked what you were smoking. Yet, here we are. The simulation is officially glitching.
Jake Paul is set to step into the ring against Anthony Joshua this December in a Netflix live event that promises to be equal parts sporting event and train wreck. But in a twist that nobody really asked for, the two combatants have decided to take a break from roasting each other to gang up on a common enemy: former UFC Heavyweight Champion Francis Ngannou.
Because, apparently, there isn’t enough drama in the ring already, right?
The Beef Between Paul and The Predator
To understand why “The Problem Child” is suddenly throwing verbal haymakers at Ngannou, we have to rewind a bit. When Paul’s prospective bout with Gervonta “Tank” Davis fell apart due to legal issues on Davis’s end, Paul’s camp went scrambling for a replacement. Reportedly, they dialed up Ngannou.
Now, Francis Ngannou isn’t exactly known for jumping at whatever scraps are thrown his way. He rejected the offer, calling it “disrespectful” and pointing out that fighting Paul made absolutely zero sense for his career trajectory. And honestly? He’s not wrong. Going from fighting Tyson Fury and Anthony Joshua to fighting a YouTuber is a bit of a career pivot, to put it mildly.
But Paul, never one to handle rejection quietly, took this personally. During a press conference with Joshua, things went from zero to toxic real quick.
Paul Unleashes a Verbal Barrage
In typical fashion, Paul didn’t hold back when the topic of Ngannou came up. He didn’t just criticize the man; he went for the jugular.
“When I go in there and do 10 times, 100 times better than Francis [against Joshua], we’ll see how he feels then,” Paul ranted. “The guy’s a joke. He’s a dumbass, he’s stuck in mud. Francis to me is an easy fight as a boxer, so that’s all we need to talk about him.”
Calling one of the scariest men on the planet a “dumbass” and claiming he is “stuck in mud” is a bold strategy. It’s the kind of confidence you can only have when you know there’s a security team between you and the guy you’re insulting. Paul seems convinced that because Ngannou struggled in his second boxing match, he’s suddenly an “easy fight.” It’s classic influencer boxing logic: ignore the context, hype the drama.
Joshua Joins the Pile-On
What’s even wilder is that Anthony Joshua, usually the more composed of the two, decided to jump in on the bashing. Joshua, who famously knocked Ngannou out cold in the second round of their March 2024 fight, echoed Paul’s sentiments.
“He should be up here if he was serious,” Joshua said. “He wants to fight rather than talking, be about it, don’t talk about it… Just keep quiet, if you’re about it, be about it.”
It’s a weird look for Joshua to be punching down at a guy he already beat decisively, but hey, maybe the “influencer energy” from Paul is contagious. It feels like they are trying to goad Ngannou into some kind of triple-threat match that only exists in the WWE universe.
The Odds: Can Paul Actually Pull This Off?
Let’s talk numbers, because Vegas always tells the real story. The oddsmakers aren’t buying what Paul is selling.
Anthony Joshua is sitting as a massive -1100 favorite. That means you’d have to bet your house just to win a Happy Meal. Meanwhile, Paul is a +650 underdog. To put that in perspective, a win against a washed-up Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. is currently the highlight of Paul’s resume. Stepping in with AJ is a different beast entirely.
A $100 bet on Joshua nets you a measly $109.90 payout. But if you’re crazy enough to bet $100 on Paul, and by some miracle he wins, you’re looking at a $750 payout. It’s tempting for the chaos agents among us, but let’s be real—the skill gap here is wider than the Grand Canyon.
Is This Just Content?
At the end of the day, this whole situation with Ngannou feels like manufactured drama to sell subscriptions. Paul knows that dragging a big name like Ngannou into the headlines keeps people talking. It keeps the social media engagement high, which is the currency Paul actually trades in.
Whether he actually believes Ngannou is a “joke” or if he’s just trying to manifest his own legitimacy by tearing down an MMA legend is up for debate. But one thing is for sure: come December, we’re all going to tune in to Netflix to see if Paul gets humbled or if reality is just going to break completely.
