Jake Paul has made a habit to focus on prominent UFC names, but Francis Ngannou said that he would best avoid a brutal knock outpartist.
Much of Paul's journey in boxing has argued him with figures from the battle sport pond, to the great dismay of those who hope to see him are regularly confronted with active boxers in the vicinity of his age.
Until now, 'the problem child' has shared the ring with five ex-PUC stars. The most striking was that Paul killed former champion Welterweight Tyron Woodley, surpassed the legendary Anderson Silva and got the better from Nate Diaz.
Given that trend, and the attention it brings him, it is not surprising that Paul did not make his callouts of MMA names heard.
One of his more recent ones, however, may have crossed the border from ambitious to the death wish …
Photo by Michael Reaves/Getty images
Francis Ngannou warns Jake Paul about the danger of UFC star Alex Pereira
After beating former UFC-Jager-BKFC star Mike Perry in July 2024, Paul made a bold callout of the then lightweight champion of the UFC Light Heavyweight Alex Pereira.
Israel Adesanya, Jiri Prochazka, Jamahal Hill, Sean Strickland and Khalil Rountree have all fallen on the well-known power of the Brazilian in the Octagon, but the YouTuber boxer wished his opportunities in the ring.
While interviewing Francis Ngannou, one of Pereira's colleague -MMA -on his podcast, Paul was strongly advised to pursue 'Patan'.
“(Pereira's) tough, he has a number of hard hands,” said Ngannou.
“I think you're going to get a few tough nights. I mean, he is a big man, Alex.
“What is your weight right now? 215 (pound). Come on, man,” Ngannou added. “This man is big, solid and he is mean.
“He immediately walks towards you when:” I'm going to eat this guy. “
What Alex Pereira said about fighting Jake Paul
Just after he was summoned in July 2024, Pereira joined Facetime with Paul and teased a potential crossover collision against the citizen of Cleveland.
But the Brazilian told Bloody Elbow in the run-up to his most recent UFC fight that every conversation about a boxing match with Paul was Puur to collect publicity.
“I think that was more for the media, for the hype,” said Pereira about the run-in of the couple last summer. “I don't necessarily know whether that makes sense. Perhaps for an exhibition match or something.
“But to be honest, I am at a different level, that he is now a boxer. He is a man who trains boxing, but I just have the feeling that I am different, at a different level.”
Pereira was then not taken care of from the light heavyweight throne by Magomed Ankalaev on UFC 313 and has now taken his sights in revenge in their expected Rematch later this year.