Jake Paul delivers scathing dig at Francis Ngannou, chaos erupts behind the scenes

Photo by Cooper Neill/Getty Images

Jake Paul and Francis Ngannou found themselves in a strange back-and-forth at the Intuit Dome, each bringing up their own knockout losses to Anthony Joshua.

Ngannou, a former heavyweight MMA champion, was knocked out by Joshua back in 2024. Later that year, Paul stepped into the ring with Joshua as well.

While he lasted longer than Ngannou, Paul’s more cautious approach didn’t save him from eventually having his jaw broken.

Ngannou had reportedly been offered the fight against Joshua but turned it down. Now, as he gets ready for his first MMA bout in nearly two years against Philipe Lins, he’s already looking ahead to a potential clash with Paul.

Photo by Andrew Harnik/Getty Images

Jake Paul and Francis Ngannou cross paths backstage in LA

Just before his final face-off with Philipe Lins, Francis Ngannou bumped into Jake Paul backstage at the Intuit Dome. The two have never had a friendly history, and this meeting was no different, as they exchanged words about a potential future fight.

Paul asked Ngannou, “What did you dream of when Anthony slept you?” to which Ngannou responded by saying he dreamed “of fighting, not of sprinting.” The YouTuber’s approach against Joshua had already drawn plenty of criticism, with fans mocking his attempts to stay out of range by moving around the ring without engaging.

When Ngannou asked if he was dreaming now, Paul replied that “you were dreaming when Joshua knocked you out”. The MMA champion then questioned if his rival ever even had a fight with the Brit or if he was just running away.

Paul then added: “I know you’re not a boxer, but the first rule of boxing is hit and don’t get hit. Use your footwork. I’m not a big clunky guy like you stuck in sand.”