Francis Ngannou rejects Jake Paul’s fight offer
Former UFC heavyweight champion Francis Ngannou has firmly declined an opportunity to step in as a replacement opponent for Jake Paul’s cancelled bout with Gervonta Davis, reports BritPanorama.
The Cameroonian fighter labelled the proposal as disrespectful when Paul’s representatives contacted him about filling the vacancy. Despite being offered considerable financial incentives, Ngannou stood his ground.
“It’s not about the number,” he told TMZ Sports, emphasising that financial considerations did not factor into his decision.
The approach followed Davis’s withdrawal from the planned November clash amid domestic violence allegations. Paul’s team subsequently reached out to multiple potential replacements, including Ngannou, who saw no professional merit in accepting the bout.
The initial contact came from Nakisa Bidarian, CEO of Most Valuable Promotions, who aimed to discuss a substitute for Davis. Ngannou recounted feeling bewildered during the conversation, initially unsure why he was approached. “I said, ‘OK, what can I do for you? What exactly?'” he explained.
When Bidarian clarified they were considering him to face Jake Paul, Ngannou’s confusion deepened. “I was like, ‘What? Who’s Jake?’ I was so confused. I wasn’t expecting that at all,” he said.
Even after realising they meant Jake Paul, Ngannou’s response was immediate and unequivocal. “I’m like, ‘No bro, come on. Don’t disrespect me like that,'” he stated. He articulated why the matchup lacked logical foundation, highlighting the stark contrast between himself and Davis.
“How can they go from Gervonta Davis to Francis Ngannou?” he questioned during his interview. “Gervonta Davis is a fantastic boxer and is a one-shot knockout artist, but come on.” The 39-year-old emphasised that size disparities might balance out in a Davis-Paul contest, but the same logic could not apply to him. “We’re way different. It makes no sense,” he stated.
When pressed whether attractive financial terms might change his stance, Ngannou remained resolute. “If it was about the number, I would tell you. I’m just not interested. He’s not what I’m looking at right now.”
Paul has since taken to social media to respond to Ngannou’s rejection, attempting to provoke the heavyweight into reconsidering. The YouTuber-turned-boxer called Ngannou “scared” on X, formerly Twitter, and claimed the former UFC champion would be “light work” for him. Such inflammatory comments appear designed to goad Ngannou into accepting the bout.
However, given Ngannou’s emphatic dismissal of the proposal and his assertion that the fight “makes no sense” professionally, Paul’s taunting seems unlikely to alter his position. The search continues for Paul’s next opponent, with the rescheduled bout potentially targeting December dates on Netflix.
In an era where combat sports are often defined by spectacle, Ngannou’s refusal serves as a reminder that not all matchups carry equal weight in the eyes of fighters, regardless of financial allure.
