Youtuber-turned boxer Jake Paul needs an opponent — but it won’t be “The Predator.”
Paul is scheduled to collide with boxing superstar — and serial domestic violence abuser — Gervonta Davis next week (Fri., Nov. 14, 2025) live from Kaseya Center in Miami, Florida, streaming exclusively on Netflix. However, the bout is currently on life support after Davis was hit with a new civil lawsuit accusing him of battery, aggravated battery, false imprisonment, kidnapping, and intentional infliction of emotional distress.
Because of the new allegations, Paul’s team reportedly began reaching out to several replacement options, including Nate Diaz, Francis Ngannou, and Ryan Garcia. Garcia is not available, and now Ngannou has officially removed himself from consideration — saying the matchup makes zero sense.
“Yes, Nakisa [Badarian] reached out the other day and told me how they need a replacement for Gervonta and after I listened, I wasn’t getting it,” Ngannou told TMZ Sports recently. “I said, ‘OK, what can I do for you? What exactly?’ He said, ‘We’re looking for a replacement.’ But I still didn’t get it. He was like, ‘Yeah, we were thinking about you to fight Jake.’ I was like, ‘What? Who’s Jake?’ I was so confused. I wasn’t expecting that at all.
Ngannou made it clear that he wasn’t insulted by the offer itself — just baffled by how it came about.
“He said, ‘Jake Paul.’ I’m like, ‘No bro, come on. Don’t disrespect me like that.’ They even came out after and said, ‘What if the numbers are good?’ He sent out some numbers,” Ngannou added. “I said, ‘It’s not about the numbers, if it was about the numbers, we could’ve started talking, I would have told you.’ I’m just not interested. It makes no sense for me. It’s not what I’m looking at right now.”
“No, there’s no such thing happening,” Ngannou concluded. “How can they go from Gervonta Davis to Francis Ngannou? Gervonta Davis is a fantastic boxer and is a one-shot knockout artist, but come on. They’re way different in everything, and it makes no sense. At this point, for me to do it makes no sense.”
Ngannou has teased another boxing bout after his heavyweight clashes with Tyson Fury and Anthony Joshua, but “El Gallo” clearly isn’t on his hit list.
The former UFC heavyweight champion has not competed since demolishing PFL champion Renan Ferreira in under four minutes back in October 2024 (watch highlights).
