Eddie Hall, the 2017 World`s Strongest Man, has made it abundantly clear he wants no part of a fight against MMA`s top heavyweight, Francis Ngannou, and he`s not shy about expressing it.
Hall recently made his mixed martial arts debut at KSW 105 in Poland, securing a swift 30-second knockout victory over five-time WSM champion Mariusz Pudzianowski. Following this impressive start, speculation immediately arose about who his next opponent might be.
While Hall seems open to a rematch with Pudzianowski, who has accused him of an illegal blow to the back of the head, Hall must first recover from a broken knuckle and consider his options.
Eddie Hall Dismisses Francis Ngannou Fight Prospects After MMA Debut Win
Even before his bout with Mariusz Pudzianowski, KSW boss Martin Lewandowski had floated the idea of Eddie Hall facing Francis Ngannou. Despite being 37 and having no prior professional one-on-one MMA experience, Hall was mentioned as a potential challenger.
In an interview, the promoter stated he was in contact with PFL representatives and was definitely interested in such a cross-promotional fight if they were willing to share the fighter.
However, Hall humorously shut down the notion entirely when speaking to the media after his fight. He stated he “would rather get f—ed up the a— by the devil than fight Francis Ngannou. I’m not fighting Francis Ngannou, that’s not happening, no. Let’s just not mention my name anywhere near that name.”
Earlier in the same media session, Hall explained that his focus is on participating in fights against other `freak` athletes. He feels that given his age and stature in his athletic career, pursuing the top rank in a promotion like KSW is not a sensible goal.
Eddie Hall Reportedly Holds PowerKube Record Over Francis Ngannou
Although Hall isn`t eager to step into the cage with Ngannou, he already holds a notable distinction over him from the UFC Performance Institute in Las Vegas. Hall is said to have registered a higher score on the PowerKube machine, which measures punching power.
Former UFC Heavyweight Champion Francis Ngannou held the record for the world`s hardest punch until light heavyweight champion Alex Pereira surpassed his mark. Last year, however, Eddie Hall set a new record, registering an immense 208,901 units.
Ahead of his recent fight, Hall told the media, “As of now, I don’t wanna make the claim officially, but I have got the hardest punch on the planet. That’s been recorded via a punch measuring machine at the UFC [Performance] Institute.”
