Former World`s Strongest Man Eddie Hall has made it clear he wants nothing to do with a potential fight against MMA`s premier heavyweight, Francis Ngannou. He expressed this stance without hesitation following his recent mixed martial arts debut.
The 2017 World`s Strongest Man winner stepped into the cage at KSW 105 in Poland on Saturday night. He secured a swift 30-second knockout victory over five-time WSM champion Mariusz Pudzianowski, immediately prompting questions about who his next opponent might be.
Hall appears open to a rematch with the Polish competitor, who has accused him of landing an illegal blow to the back of the head during their bout. However, Hall first needs to recover from a broken knuckle sustained in the fight and determine his future course of action.
Eddie Hall Dismisses Francis Ngannou Fight Prospect After Winning MMA Debut
Ahead of his match with Mariusz Pudzianowski, Eddie Hall`s name was mentioned by KSW boss Martin Lewandowski as a potential opponent for Francis Ngannou. Despite being 37 years old and having no prior one-on-one MMA experience, Hall was put forward as a possibility.
In an interview, the promoter indicated potential collaboration, saying, “I’m in touch with the guys from PFL. So, definitely we can talk about this kind of match if they would be willing to share the fighter, no problem. I can say from now that I’m interested to do that, definitely.”
However, Hall humorously shut down the idea completely after his fight. When speaking to the media, he stated using colorful language that he would prefer an extremely unpleasant alternative rather than stepping into the ring with Francis Ngannou. He emphatically declared, “I’m not fighting Francis Ngannou, that’s not happening, no. Let’s just not mention my name anywhere near that name.”
During the same media session, Hall clarified his desire to face other `freak` athletes in future bouts. He explained that given his age and career stage, aiming for the top spot, even in a promotion like KSW, doesn`t make sense for him.
Eddie Hall Reportedly Holds Punching Record Over Francis Ngannou at UFC Performance Institute
While Hall is reluctant to fight Ngannou in a cage, he seems to have already claimed a victory over him in terms of raw power. The British athlete is reported to have registered a higher score on the PowerKube machine at the UFC Performance Institute in Las Vegas, which measures punch force.
Former UFC Heavyweight Champion Francis Ngannou was long considered to have the world`s hardest recorded punch on this machine, until former light heavyweight champion Alex Pereira surpassed his mark. Last year, however, Hall reportedly shattered the record, hitting 208,901 units.
Addressing the media before his recent fight, Hall stated, “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.”
