“He’s never boxed before” - Eddie Hearn laughs off 'fake padwork' claims as he discusses Francis Ngannou's viral boxing clip

Francis Ngannou is preparing to make his professional boxing debut against Tyson Fury on October 28 in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

'The Predator' is currently an overwhelming underdog, and sits at +700 according to some sportsbooks.

Ngannou was recently captured hitting pads with his striking coach Dewey Cooper, and the footage sparked a huge debate online. Fans were far from impressed with the level of skill displayed by 'The Predator', and some even felt as though he was intentionally looking bad as some sort of joke.

But Matchroom Sport chairman and one of boxing's leading promoters, Eddie Hearn, has scoffed at people claiming that the footage was fake. Hearn broke down Ngannou's abilities as a boxer, and while he did not rate 'The Predator' highly, he did note that the former UFC champion was not a boxer.

During a recent interview with Boxing Social, Hearn said:

"People think it's a wind-up from Francis Ngannou, but no it's him. People are going, 'Nah that can't be [real],' like [Ngannou] said, 'Put the camera on, I'm gonna do something really bad.' He's never boxed before. He's never had a professional [boxing] fight. You can't expect him to be any good, what are we expecting here? Floyd Mayweather on the pads? He's never had a professional fight."

Watch the video below from 11:30:

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Francis Ngannou claims he will earn more for PFL debut than entire MMA career so far

Francis Ngannou is set for the biggest pay day of his career when he steps into the squared circle to take on arguably the best heavyweight boxer in the world, Tyson Fury.

Ngannou's purse has not been disclosed, but it is understood that 'The Predator' will earn at least $10 million.

Furthermore, Ngannou recently claimed that the money he will make from his debut fight in the Professional Fighters League (PFL) will be more than his entire MMA career so far.

Following Francis Ngannou's departure from the UFC, he signed with the PFL. The figures relating to his contract with the PFL have not been disclosed yet. But during a recent media scrum ahead of his clash with Tyson Fury, 'The Predator' said:

"Let's just say this is the beginning of my career... [The money] is different. A lot different... If I combine all my salary that I have made in MMA, it could maybe be half of what I'm going to make in my next MMA fight. Let's not even go to boxing, let's stay on MMA. I'm speaking for myself... For me it's a huge difference."

Watch the video below from 6:00: