Jake Paul backs Francis Ngannou’s ‘very challenging’ opponent ahead of MMA return

Jake Paul isn’t expecting Francis Ngannou to have it all his own way when he steps into the cage on May 16.

The former UFC heavyweight champion, who spent three years in the PFL, recently became a free agent again after just one fight with the promotion.

His next move didn’t take long to materialise. Ngannou is set to face Philipe Lins as part of Netflix’s first-ever MMA event.

But the matchup hasn’t impressed everyone. Some believe ‘The Predator’ should have been given a more challenging opponent and expect him to win without much trouble.

Jake Paul says Ngannou’s Netflix opponent is being overlooked by fans

Ngannou returns to the cage with plenty of expectations. ‘The Predator’ has won six of his last seven fights via knockout, including the one that crowned him UFC heavyweight champion in 2021.

During his time in the PFL, he also secured a dominant decision win over Renan Ferreira, only losing to Tom Aspinall in his last appearance back in September 2024.

“It’s a more dangerous fight than — who did we have as the other opponent? We had a different name, who was a bigger name and an easier fight for (Ngannou).

The other fighter Jake referred to was Dutch kickboxing icon Rico Verhoeven, but he passed on the offer because he’d already agreed to box Oleksandr Usyk under Turki Alalshikh’s guidance.

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