UFC Hall of Famer Michael Bisping isn’t buying the talk surrounding a potential boxing match between Jake Paul and Francis Ngannou.
After reports surfaced that Paul’s team is looking for a new opponent to replace Gervonta “Tank” Davis, who’s currently facing serious legal allegations, Bisping took to his YouTube channel to share his thoughts on the rumoured options. According to multiple sources, names like Nate Diaz and Francis Ngannou have been floated as possible replacements. But for Bisping, the idea of Paul facing Ngannou sounds far-fetched.
“We know Jake Paul has been out there fighting people much older or smaller than him — Mike Tyson at 58, Anderson Silva past his prime, and Nate Diaz, who’s way smaller,” Bisping said. “Gervonta Davis really did take the piss. That was the craziest shout ever. To go from fighting Gervonta Davis, way smaller, to now boxing Francis Ngannou? Listen, if he does it, fair play. But I call number one bullsh*t on this, brother. I don’t see this happening. I don’t believe it at all.”
Bisping also pointed out that while Paul’s career has largely revolved around matchups with older or undersized MMA fighters, he has shown genuine improvement as a boxer. Still, taking on someone like Ngannou — the former UFC heavyweight champion — is a completely different level of risk.
“Listen, Jake Paul is definitely improving,” Bisping continued. “You can see the work he’s putting in, and I respect that. I’m not being a hater, I’m being a realist. For Jake Paul, it would almost be worth that calculated risk because even if he did lose, which he would, people would say, ‘Look at the balls on him!’”
Ngannou last competed in October 2024, when he knocked out Renan Ferreira to claim the PFL Super Fights Heavyweight Championship, a title often compared to the UFC’s BMF belt. As of now, there’s no indication that
“The Predator” is entertaining the idea of fighting Paul.
Still, Bisping made it clear that if Paul ever does step into the ring with someone like Ngannou or a top-tier boxer such as Anthony Joshua, he’d give him full credit.
“There’s no way he would box Anthony Joshua. But if he did, whether it’s Joshua or Francis Ngannou, I’d give him his props,” Bisping said. “Maybe he’d even do it just for the clout — and honestly, that would be admirable.”
While the rumor mill continues to spin, Michael Bisping remains skeptical that Jake Paul will take such a massive leap anytime soon. For now, it’s just talk — and Bisping isn’t buying a word of it.
