“I Just Want to Give Him Some Slaps” Francis Ngannou Fires Back at Jake Paul
Francis Ngannou and Jake Paul are back in the same conversation, even without a fight signed. After months of callouts, jabs, and debate over whether Paul belongs anywhere near the heavyweight picture, Ngannou has delivered his clearest response yet, dismissing the YouTuber-turned-boxer’s ambitions and making it plain that the rivalry is getting more personal.
Francis Ngannou has again pushed back on Jake Paul, this time with a line that quickly spread across boxing and MMA media. Speaking while discussing Paul’s repeated callouts, Ngannou said, in an interview with The Schmo: “I just want to give him some slaps,” then added that Paul had been “talking a lot of crap” and should have learned something from his first heavyweight fight, which ended in a knockout loss to Anthony Joshua.
Francis Ngannou Mocks Jake Paul’s Heavyweight Talk
The latest back-and-forth did not come out of nowhere. Jake Paul has been public about wanting Ngannou as a future opponent and has framed the former UFC champion as a beatable name in boxing. In March, Paul said that Ngannou was an “easy fight” and called him a “terrible boxer,” while saying he wanted that bout as part of his return after losing to Joshua.
Ngannou answered that pressure in more than one setting. At a March press event tied to Most Valuable Promotions’ MMA launch, he said he was no longer interested in fighting Paul in a sporting sense so much as beating him up because he viewed Paul’s approach as disrespectful. BoxingScene reported Ngannou telling Paul he had acted like “a small boy,” and that the disrespect was the reason he now wanted to “kick” his ass.
Both men are linked through MVP business, even as they trade shots in public. Ngannou is booked to face Philipe Lins on a May 16 card promoted by Paul’s company, with the announcement made during MVP’s MMA debut rollout. Around the same period, TMZ reported that Ngannou said he had grown to respect Paul’s development as a real fighter, even though that respect had not softened his view of the matchup or the trash talk.
The heavyweight angle is what gives Ngannou’s latest quote its edge. Ngannou has shared the ring with Tyson Fury and Anthony Joshua, nearly upsetting Fury in October 2023 before being knocked out by Joshua in March 2024. Paul, by contrast, has built his boxing profile outside the heavyweight path and was stopped by Joshua in his own move into that weight class. That difference in experience is central to Ngannou’s mockery: from his view, Paul is still talking like a heavyweight before proving he belongs there.
For now, there is still no official fight agreement between them. What does exist is a live feud, public quotes from both sides, and clear commercial interest if the timing lines up. Ngannou’s latest message was simple and direct: he is tired of the talk, unimpressed by the heavyweight ambition, and very willing to answer Jake Paul in person if the chance comes.
Ngannou is scheduled to return to MMA on May 16, 2026, when he faces Philipe Lins in a five-round heavyweight bout at Intuit Dome on MVP’s first MMA card, a show that Netflix has also promoted as part of its live event lineup.
