Francis Ngannou has issued a stark warning to Jake Paul, stating that his former mentor, boxing legend Mike Tyson, is going to “beat his ass” when they meet in the ring on November 15 in Texas. Paul, a YouTuber-turned-boxer, is set to face heavyweight icon Tyson, who despite being over 30 years older, is still expected to give Paul a tough fight.
Ngannou, who trained with Tyson last year to transition from MMA to boxing before his fight with Tyson Fury, witnessed firsthand Tyson’s enduring prowess and agility. Reflecting on Tyson’s skills, Ngannou emphasized that while Tyson may not be in his prime, his movement remains incredibly sharp and unpredictable. “He moves from your left to your right in the blink of an eye,” Ngannou explained, underscoring Tyson’s enduring abilities.
Tyson, 58, was initially scheduled to fight Paul on July 20 but had to postpone due to a health scare involving a stomach ulcer. Now, Tyson is gearing up for his first professionally sanctioned fight since 2005, following an exhibition match against Roy Jones Jr. in 2020.
Ngannou, who sparred with Tyson ahead of his crossover boxing match against Fury, recalled Tyson’s formidable presence in the ring. Despite suffering a controversial decision loss against Fury and a knockout by Anthony Joshua earlier this year, Ngannou has returned to MMA and is set to face Renan Ferreira on October 19 in Saudi Arabia.
At a recent Professional Fighters League press conference, Paul, who is promoting his upcoming fight, had the daunting task of standing alongside the towering heavyweights, Ngannou and Ferreira. Ngannou, however, admitted that Paul’s presence was barely noticeable amid the intense face-off between the heavyweight giants.
“Jake Paul is not our weight class; we barely noticed that he was there!” Ngannou quipped, highlighting the stark difference in their sizes and fighting backgrounds. As the anticipation builds for Tyson vs. Paul, Ngannou’s insights add to the intrigue surrounding the fight, with many eager to see how Paul will fare against one of boxing’s all-time greats.
