"He proved that his money is where his mouth is" - Francis Ngannou says it's time to take Jake Paul seriously

Francis Ngannou recently offered Jake Paul his stamp of approval. The UFC heavyweight champion declared that Paul, after a decisive performance over Tyron Woodley, had done enough to be recognized as a legitimate threat inside the squared circle.

While in conversation with TMZ Sports, the heavyweight kingpin revealed that Jake Paul surprised and impressed him with his performance against Tyron Woodley.

What's more, Ngannou called on members of the combat sports community to take Paul seriously after his statement win over a former UFC welterweight champion.

"I was impressed by Jake Paul. I didn't see that coming. I was sure that Tyron Woodley going to win this fight, but you got to give it to Jake Paul, he made a statement, a huge statement and he proved that his money is where his mouth is. He's there. He's taking himself very seriously... You better take him seriously because he proved it," asserted Francis Ngannou.

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Francis Ngannou dismisses a fight against Jake Paul

In the same interview, 'The Predator' was asked about creating a potential fight against Jake Paul should his contract with the UFC fall through. However, he was less than enthused to pick a fight against the likes of 'The Problem Child'.

He cited differences in physicality and weight after declaring that Paul was nowhere near his level of boxing. He ended the conversation about a fight between the two with an extremely powerful statement. Here's what the 'The Predator' had to say:

"No. [It's] not the same thing, bro. It's not the same generation. Even if I go out there for boxing, it's not to box Jake Paul. It's not as good as he might be, he's not my level, he's not my weight class. I might have what, maybe 80-100lbs over him. You know, it's not the same thing. He doesn't want this smoke," declared Francis Ngannou.

Catch the entire segment of Francis Ngannou's interview with TMZ Sports right here: