Jake Paul isn’t just preparing for one of the biggest crossover bouts of the year—he’s also calling out heavy hitters who turned down the chance to face him.
Days after the announcement that he’ll meet former heavyweight champion Anthony Joshua in Miami on December 19, Paul publicly blasted Francis Ngannou for rejecting an offer to fight him on Netflix.
The situation unfolded after Gervonta “Tank” Davis was removed from the initially scheduled Paul–Davis card due to a new civil lawsuit filed against him. With the matchup off, Paul’s team at Most Valuable Promotions approached Ngannou about stepping in. Ngannou not only declined but later said the proposal felt disrespectful.
Paul said that the response still doesn’t make sense to him.
“Yeah, I just thought – I mean, he’s just an idiot,” Paul told USA TODAY's MMA Junkie during a media scrum. “I’m like, ‘Yo, what are you doing?’ If you’re so confident, if you feel so disrespected…this is your opportunity to correct that and stop me.’”
Ngannou, who left the UFC in 2022 and signed with the PFL, has enjoyed rare freedom to compete in both MMA and boxing. He made headlines with high-profile matchups against Tyson Fury and Joshua—going the distance in a split-decision loss to Fury and later getting knocked out by Joshua in the second round. He returned to MMA last fall, knocking out Renan Ferreira in his PFL debut, but has been mostly inactive since.
Behind the scenes, Ngannou has drawn attention for reasons unrelated to competition as well. UFC CEO Dana White recently claimed Ngannou pushed both him and UFC executive Hunter Campbell during a tense meeting. PFL executives have also expressed frustration over Ngannou’s absence from several Africa-focused promotional plans.
From Paul’s perspective, taking the Netflix fight would’ve been a way for Ngannou to reset the narrative.
“He’s basically also talking sh*t to Mike Tyson for fighting me,” Paul said. “Francis, you’re nowhere near the legend, and you never will be even close to the legend of Mike Tyson, and you’re saying it’s disrespectful to get in the ring.”
Instead, Paul will move forward with Joshua—a bout that already made headlines long before Paul reignited tensions with Ngannou. According to boxing analyst Steve Bunce, Joshua accepted the fight after being offered a massive financial package reportedly worth around $50 million.
The matchup will take place over eight three-minute rounds, with Joshua required to weigh in at 245 pounds or less, significantly lighter than in his recent fights.