Jake Paul wants to jump back in at the deep end after suffering the first knockout loss of his career.
The YouTuber-turned-boxer got his jaw broken in a brutal stoppage loss on December 19.
However, he earned widespread praise for going six rounds with two-time heavyweight world champion Anthony Joshua, who needed just two rounds to put Francis Ngannou to sleep when they fought in March 2025.
After the fight, Jake Paul celebrated surviving longer against ‘AJ’ than the former UFC heavyweight champion.
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Was it worth it?
Jake Paul suffered a double broken jaw during his KO loss against Anthony Joshua.
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Daniel Cormier hates Jake Paul vs Francis Ngannou
Jake Paul expressed an interest in fighting Francis Ngannou next on his brother, Logan Paul‘s, podcast.
UFC Hall of Famer Daniel Cormier thinks that’s a bad matchup that will end in another bad KO loss for the former Disney star.
“Francis doesn’t know, Jake. Francis doesn’t know how to control and make sure the punches don’t put your lights out,” Cormier said on his YouTube channel.
“I think he needs to reconsider. And this is from a person that, at one point, had an issue with Jake Paul.
“Today, that’s water under the bridge. I’ve actually got more respect for Jake Paul than I ever thought I could because of what he’s doing.
“You’re telling me that this kid is gonna be able to fight Francis Ngannou because he did better against Anthony Joshua.
“MMA math does not work, and I don’t think it works in boxing either.”
Francis Ngannou’s next fight
Francis Ngannou hasn’t fought since stopping Renan Ferreira in round one in October 2024.
The fight represented Ngannou’s return to MMA after boxing bouts with Tyson Fury and Anthony Joshua.
2025 was supposed to see Ngannou return to the ring, but the mega-fights he wanted failed to come to fruition.
What was Francis Ngannou’s most impressive UFC performance?
‘The Predator’ knocked out Stipe Miocic, Cain Velasquez, Curtis Blaydes, Jairzinho Rozenstruik, and more during his stint in the Octagon.
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The 39-year-old’s next MMA opponent became clear when a new PFL heavyweight champion was crowned on December 13.
“I been ready for a long time,” Ngannou wrote on X after Vadim Nemkov‘s title win over Renan Ferreira.
“See you soon…”
Negotiations are believed to be ongoing for Ngannou vs Nemkov to take place at a PFL event in the first half of 2026.
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