Jake Paul has been accused of “disrespect” by Francis Ngannou for enquiring about a fight.
YouTuber-turned-boxer Paul saw his fight with Gervonta Davis, scheduled for Nov. 14, fall through.
The exhibition bout had caused a stir because of the weight disparity — Davis is a world champion at 135lbs but Paul fights around 200lbs.
But Paul has now caused more controversy in his pursuit for a new opponent, which saw him enquire about Ngannou.
Ngannou, the former UFC heavyweight champion who has fought Anthony Joshua and Tyson Fury inside the boxing ring, most recently competed at 256lbs — far in excess of Paul.
Ngannou’s fighting weight is around 120lbs heavier than Davis.
Ngannou confirmed to TMZ that he received an enquiry to fight Paul but confirmed: “No, there is no such thing happening.
“How can they go from Gervonta Davis to Francis Ngannou?
“Davis is a fantastic boxer and a one-shot knockout artist. But come on, the weight difference makes no sense. For me, it makes no sense.
“They reached out the other day and told me [they need] a replacement for Gervonta. I said ‘what can I do for you?’
“They said ‘we are looking for a replacement.’
“But I still didn’t get it! I was like ‘okay, what exactly can I do for you?’
“They said ‘we are thinking about you fighting Jake’.
“I said: ‘Jake?’ I was so confused. I wasn’t expecting it at all.
“They said: ‘Jake Paul, he’s fighting…’ “I said: ‘No, bro, come on. Don’t disrespect me like that’.
“It’s not about the number. I am not interested. It makes no sense.”
– Anthony Joshua tipped for shock return date by Eddie Hearn
– Manny Pacquiao hints at possible Floyd Mayweather rematch
Paul has since struck back at Ngannou via social media.
“Dear Francis – just say you already got humiliated in boxing and are scared to lose to Jake Paul,” he wrote.
“I accept that. You are light work my friend. Stuck in mud.”
Paul has won 12 out of 13 fights inside the boxing ring, including against Mike Tyson.
Ngannou made his name by winning the top heavyweight honours in the UFC before transitioning into boxing.
He emerged with great credit for knocking down Fury in his boxing debut, despite losing on points. Joshua then knocked out Ngannou.
Paul, meanwhile, has also talked up a possible fight with former heavyweight champion Joshua.
