Francis Ngannou reveals thoughts on potential fight between Jake Paul, Canelo Alvarez

In a recent interview with Sportsbook Review, Francis Ngannou opened up on a potential fight. between Canelo Alvarez and Jake Paul

Jan 22, 2022; Anaheim, California, USA; Francis Ngannou poses for photos following his championship victory at UFC 270 at Honda Center. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images | Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images

Francis Ngannou has quietly moved on from the UFC but still follows combat sports, even as a PFL Superfight Champion. In doing so, Ngannou has kept his eye on the boxing scene centering around one of its key stars, Jake Paul.

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Nov 15, 2024; Arlington, Texas, UNITED STATES; Jake Paul kisses his girlfriend Jutta Leerdam after his fight against Mike Tyson at AT&T Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kevin Jairaj-Imagn Images | Kevin Jairaj-Imagn Images

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Paul had been linked to a fight against Canelo Alvarez before negotiations fell through entirely. Alvarez then signed a four-fight deal with Riyadh Season, which is set to begin later this year without a fight against Paul included.

Regardless of one's feelings about how the fight never materialized, Ngannou, the former UFC Heavyweight Champion, said a fight between Paul and Alvarez would still draw fan interest.

"Jake Paul has become a real boxer, but I don't think he's at the level of Canelo," Ngannou told Sportsbook Review. "I think we can all agree that over time, he has become a boxer. Not at the level of Canelo, but we can all agree that he is a legit boxer now."

Ngannou said a fight between the two could play out vastly. different, barring weight division category.

"Now, the component that is very important that I have to raise here is the weight class," Ngannou added. "There’s a huge difference of weight between them both, which could be advantageous for Jake Paul, and it could compensate for his level of boxing compared to Canelo. I think it's still going to be tough."

Francis Ngannou on MMA vs. Boxing Crossover Fights

Nevertheless, Ngannou supports MMA stars crossing over into combat sports alongside the inverse of boxers going to MMA.

Jan 22, 2022; Anaheim, California, USA; Francis Ngannou leaves the octagon after the win against Ciryl Gane during UFC 270 at Honda Center. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images | Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images

"All the elite MMA fighters have to start somewhere," Ngannou said. "They had a day one. They had their first fight. He will have his first fight and I cannot judge him beforehand. I will judge him after. I will decide if he's good, if he's not good or if he needs to improve this or that after the fight.

Ngannou said if Paul were to fight in MMA, it would be against someone with a similar skillset.

"I think he will meet a fighter that is also at the beginning of his career and doesn’t have much experience. Regardless of his passion or his fame, they’ll need to find an opponent that is on the same starting level, an early pro."

Whether Paul makes the jump to MMA is unclear, but either way, the world will be watching.

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