JAKE PAUL has been issued a chilling warning over fighting Francis Ngannou – by the man who helped discover the MMA powerhouse.
Paul was due to face lightweight world champion Gervonta Davis next Saturday in an exhibition bout in Miami – aired live on Netflix.
But the event was cancelled after Davis was accused of domestic abuse by his ex-girlfriend – who filed a civil lawsuit against the controversial American.
So Paul and his camp frantically searched for replacements – approaching ex-UFC champion Ngannou – who lost his two bouts in the ring.
Ngannou – beaten by Tyson Fury and Anthony Joshua – blasted the offer and claimed he felt “disrespected” – sparking a back and forth with Paul.
But the man who helped discover Ngannou – CEO of Bahrain-based MMA promotion Mohammed Shahid – says Paul dodged a bullet.
Shahid told SunSport: “Even the aura when you just meet him – you felt that.
“The most uncomfortable I’ve felt is in Bahrain when we did the weigh-ins at the mall and I had Francis Ngannou next to me.
“I felt so uncomfortable. I didn’t want to be the president of the organisation being in the middle of Francis Ngannou facing off with his opponent.
“I felt so uncomfortable. I was like, ‘I need to just take a step back and not be between them.’ Listen, that’s just a joke, that fight is not happening.”
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Ngannou had fought only on small shows in France and Switzerland before Shahid recruited him to fight in Bahrain.
The Cameroonian – who immigrated to Paris at the time – knocked out William Baldutti before joining the UFC – where he became champion.
But he walked out on the UFC as heavyweight champ to pursue boxing – dropping Fury in his 2023 debut before losing a split-decision.
He was then knocked out by Joshua in March 2024 – since returning to MMA with the PFL – beating Renan Fereira that year.
Ngannou, 39, has teased a return to boxing but shut down Paul’s approach to replace Davis, 30.
And Shahid – ahead of Brave 100 live on talkSPORT on Friday – insists the 28-year-old YouTuber-turned-boxer has been spared.
He said: “I respect Jake because I’m not talking from a point of view that ‘he’s an influencer, he’s not a real boxer.’ Absolutely not.
“He’s put the effort and he’s working hard and anybody that talks about him as an influencer or just a YouTuber trying to be a boxer, no, not Jake Paul.
“Because at least from what I see and what I’ve seen him train and putting his effort and mind and commitment into it.
“I just feel like, don’t underestimate a guy that’s training that hard. So give him credit for being a true boxer to work towards trying to be a true boxer.
“There’s so many other YouTubers that are out there who are doing it because they could get money and they could make it happen because they have a following, not Jake Paul.
“I think he’s different from everybody else. So I’m not disrespecting him as an athlete.
“What I’m saying is it’s a joke to even discuss or think about Francis Ngannou and Jake Paul having a fight.
“What would happen with that is just that one hook or uppercut that’s gonna come in and that would be it. They don’t know Francis Ngannou.”
Asked how long the fight would go, Shahid smirked: “As much of a round as Francis wants him to have.”
