Chael Sonnen says Francis Ngannou “lost” when he turned down the fight.
Jake Paul’s seek for a Gervonta Davis alternative is ongoing, after fresh allegations of domestic abuse against the WBA lightweight champion led to Most Invaluable Promotions and Netflix pulling the plug on their controversial exhibition boxing match.
While the event at Miami’s Kaseya Center on November 14 has been scrapped, the cardboard is predicted to be pushed back to December with a brand new fight for Paul within the fundamental event spot.
Amongst those offered the Paul fight was Ngannou, but ‘The Predator’ has made his thoughts on that potential fight clear. And his firm rejection sparked an intense exchange on social media between the pair.
Based on one UFC legend, though, the heavyweight knockout artist lost as soon as he turned the fight down.
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Chael Sonnen says Jake Paul got one over Francis Ngannou in recent exchange
Former UFC title challenger Chael Sonnen reacted to Ngannou’s response to being offered the short-notice Paul fight in a video on his YouTube channel.
Within the eyes of ‘The Bad Guy’, publicly rejecting a fight in the style that ‘The Predator’ has is pretty much as good as losing it, as he seemingly awarded Paul a victory over the previous UFC heavyweight champion.
“Francis was presented with the fight…he laughed and felt disrespected,” Sonnen said. “‘The sportsbooks are calling you a 10-1 favorite, and we’d wish to pay you an entire bunch of cash to do it anyway.’ I’ve never been in that spot.
“I’d think that I can be in…I don’t feel that I’d tell him no or that I can be offended. … It wouldn’t go, ‘I’m insulted, keep your money, I’m not gonna do it. Hey TMZ, you bought time for an interview?’
“If I did (back down from a fight), I’d never let you know guys,” he continued. “I wouldn’t call TMZ and say, ‘That guy’s really easy for me.’ … I had a special annoyance for those guys. I couldn’t imagine backing down, saying no. I’m a prizefighter, there’s a prize, someone desires to pay me, and I’m insulted?
“There will not be some other answer other than, ‘I’ll do the fight,’ than, ‘I backed out of the fight.’
“One guy issued a challenge and he met all your demands. You turned the challenge down. On my playground, within the local taverns, you lose!”
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Jake Paul was once filled with praise for Francis Ngannou
The recent hostile forwards and backwards between Paul and Ngannou marks a far cry from how their relationship once was.
After ‘The Predator’ took a stand against the UFC by leaving the promotion as heavyweight champion as an alternative of accepting contractual terms that fell in need of his demands, the ex-Disney star lauded him.
Paul himself has criticized Dana White and his promotion regarding fighter pay, and that left him firmly on the side of Ngannou for the beginning of his post-UFC enterprise and entry into boxing.
But that’s evidently not the case, with the switch of their relationship seemingly coming after Paul’s Netflix fight with Mike Tyson. Like many, Ngannou was firmly against the fight and let his feelings be known.