Daniel Cormier highlighted key differences in how Jake Paul and Francis Ngannou faced off against Anthony Joshua.
Paul experienced his second defeat in professional boxing and had recently been knocked down within striking distance for the first time. When it was announced that the YouTuber-turned-boxer would fight former two-time unified world heavyweight champion Anthony Joshua, many were skeptical and expected a decisive win for Joshua. Their December 19th bout in Miami at the Caseya Center confirmed these predictions, with Joshua defeating Paul in the sixth round. Despite losing, Paul managed to last longer in the fight than Ngannou did against Joshua, earning him some credit.
Cormier dismissed claims that Paul “fought” better than Ngannou, pointing out that while Paul moved well and dodged effectively, Ngannou fought more straightforwardly. “Everyone thinks Paul did better than Francis,” Cormier said in an interview with Josh Thomson, “but Francis didn’t move much. After what Francis did to Tyson Fury, people thought he could stand up to Joshua—but he couldn’t. Joshua treated Francis seriously, but Francis didn’t adapt. Jake moved around for a long time, and that was his strength.”
Before Ngannou’s fight with Joshua, there was talk about him stepping in to fight Paul when Paul’s match with Gervonta Davis fell through. However, Ngannou rejected this idea outright, calling the offer disrespectful. The former UFC heavyweight champion told TMZ, “How can they go from Gervonta Davis to Francis Ngannou? The weight difference makes no sense. I wasn’t expecting that offer, and I thought, ‘No, brother, don’t disrespect me like that.’”
Fan Take: This discussion is crucial for fight fans because it underlines the different fighting styles and strategies in boxing vs. MMA crossover bouts. Understanding these contrasts helps predict future matchups and the evolving dynamic between combat sports stars entering boxing rings.
