Francis Ngannou Open To Fighting Jake Paul After MVP Netflix Card

Francis Ngannou is open to fighting Jake Paul after their recent back-and-forth, even if it's not been discussed yet with MVP and Netflix. 

Ngannou will be fighting on the MVP MMA card headlined by Ronda Rousey and Gina Carano in May, facing Philipe Lins in his return to action for the first time since 2024. 

And MVP, the promotion co-founded by Paul and Nakisa Bidarian in 2021, will be hosting its very first MMA card as the very first MMA event streaming on Netflix. So it is quite the boon to have the never-defeated UFC Heavyweight fighting on the card. 

However, Paul is looking at Ngannou for his own fighting career, and has been using the media run-up to the event to make that known. Like when he told Sky Sports that he was looking to fight Ngannou when he returns to a boxing ring, along with the belief he could knock Ngannou out.

Ngannou was asked about Paul's words during an interview with Ariel Helwani, and he admitted that it was something that would have got underneath his skin a few months back. But not now. 

"Jake is just being Jake," he said. "He has always been like that."

Helwani pushed, asking if it was something he would be interested in. "I don't know," he replied. "If it happens, okay."

But he clarified, "Not boxing him, kicking his a**." Helwani asked if that was to mean MMA, and Ngannou left everything rather open. Ultimately, he did confirm he was interested in the fight: "I want to," he said with a smile. 

Though he confirmed afterward that it was not something he had discussed formally with MVP or Netflix, hinging hopes on the first event being ruled a success and making a second possible.