Jake Paul has made no secret of his desire to return to the ring after experiencing a broken jaw in his stoppage loss to Anthony Joshua last December, and he already has a name in mind for his next bout: Francis Ngannou.
Despite the injury, Paul appears undeterred, and he has zeroed in on the former UFC heavyweight champion as an opponent he believes would be both winnable and entertaining for fans.
Speaking to Sky Sports News, Paul was direct in his assessment of Ngannou’s credentials as a boxer.
“I think most recently Francis Ngannou was talking a lot of smack. I think that’s an easy matchup for me,” Paul said. “I think he’s a terrible boxer. And I maybe want to go back up to heavyweight and knock him out like Joshua did and render him unconscious.”
Paul, who competes primarily at cruiserweight, has not shied away from stepping up in weight when the occasion calls for it. He lasted into the sixth round against the British heavyweight, a longer outing than Ngannou managed when the two men met Joshua separately. Ngannou was stopped in the second round by the Brit.
That detail has not been lost on Paul, who used it as a direct point of comparison. “He knows I lasted longer than him against Joshua. Didn’t get put out,” he noted.
Ngannou is no stranger to high-profile boxing contests. He extended Tyson Fury across ten rounds in their 2023 bout, showing an ability to absorb pressure and remain dangerous throughout.
However, Paul believes the Cameroonian-born heavyweight would be reluctant to enter negotiations for a match between the two of them, and he has a theory as to why.
“I think he maybe wouldn’t do the match because I think deep down he would not want to get embarrassed. So to me, that’s a fun one on the list,” Paul said.
As for his own timeline, Paul is taking a measured approach to his recovery before committing to a return date. “We will see how the jaw continues to heal up,” he said. “I’m definitely going to keep on competing.”
