Jake Paul Picks Former UFC Champ Francis Ngannou to Do the Unthinkable

On October 29 last year, Jake Paul faced former UFC champion Anderson Silva at Arizona’s Desert Diamon Arena. He won the fight unanimously. Free since then, talks were rife on the next opponent he would face. Consistently maintaining an active presence on social media, fans and followers saw “The Problem Child” throw a challenge to UFC’s Lightweight fighter from Liverpool, Paddy Pimblett. Then another mixed martial artist, Mike Perry’s name, cropped up as a possible contender.

In between talks of a fight between Jake paul and arc rival, Tommy Fury came around. The two share a bitter past that commenced from their first fight scheduled on December 18, 2021. At that time, the fight got canceled since the junior Fury reportedly developed a chest infection and rib injury. A second fight scheduled for August last year finally met the same fate when visa-related problems prevented Tommy Fury from traveling to the US.

Come the new year, Paul signed a contract with Professional Fighters League, formally announcing his entry into mixed martial arts. And on the back of that update came the big announcement that a bout between “The Problem Child” and “TNT” will happen on February 25 in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

Jake Paul names his favorites

In between a hectic schedule, the twenty-six-year-old Ohioan makes it a point to enjoy his downtime. Sometimes he shares the details with fans and followers.

Twitter handle @betr shared a half-a-minute video clip today of Jake Paul sharing the details of his NBA favorites. “Betr” is the first company to focus on sports micro-betting directly aimed at consumers. It was established in 2022 by the founders, Joey Levy and Jake Paul.

It began with a person who could be addressed as the quizzer telling Paul, “Alright, Fly Guy, got a couple of questions. Today we’re talking NBA.” He started by asking Paul’s favorite player, to which the YouTuber-boxer replied, “Luka Doncic.”

Next, the quizzer wanted to know Paul’s favorite team, and pat came to the reply, “Cavs,” or the Cleveland Cavaliers. When asked whether he could play in the NBA, Jake Paul unhesitatingly replied with a ‘no.’

Finally, the quizzer asked, “What combat sports athlete do you think could play in the NBA?” Jake Paul said, “Francis Ngannou, he could be a center.”

On January 14, 2023, the Cameroon-born French fighter incidentally lost his UFC Heavyweight Championship title due to the failure to reach a new contract agreement with the UFC. When the two parties failed to extend the deal by mid-December, the UFC decided not to exercise its one-year matching rights clause and chose to release Francis Ngannou as a ‘free agent.’

Jake Paul and Tommy Fury prepare for the big fight

Jake Paul is putting himself through intense training as he gears up for his showdown with Tommy Fury. The two are known to have a bitter rivalry. Their recent clash at Wembley Arena only heightened the tension between them.

As they prepare for the biggest fight of their lives, both fighters receive increased attention. A few have already decided who has looked better in training, and Fury is the favored one despite critics on the net.

Fury trains with his father, John, throwing powerful punches while his father provides encouragement before each blow. Meanwhile, Paul prioritizes speed over raw power in his punches and has a different training approach.

Note that captured footage pertains to separate times during their training camp. Fans and media saw Jake Paul training under their full glare while Fury performed a standard routine.