Morning Report: Eddie Hall admits fighting Francis Ngannou ‘scares the living sh*t out of me’

Eddie Hall knows enough about fighting to know a fight with Francis Ngannou is a scary proposition.

For the past few years, Hall has been expanding his sporting repertoire into various other sports. In 2022, Hall had an exhibition boxing match with fellow World’s Strongest Man winner Hafthor Bjornsson and just last year Hall made his MMA debut (of sorts) in a 2-v-1 fight that led to one of the wildest combat sports highlights you’ll ever see. So it was only fitting that Hall make his actual MMA debut, which he did so just a few weeks ago, demolishing five-time World’s Strongest Man Mariusz Pudzianowski in just 30 seconds. And now that “The Beast” has gotten a taste of MMA, he says he’s definitely not done with the four-ounce gloves.

“I’m hoping two things. It’s either I get another fight booked for November/December, or I’m going to … cut for a bodybuilding show,” Hall said on his YouTube channel. “Don’t know which yet. It all depends on if a fight promotion comes to me with a good enough deal. There’s been some talks of me fighting Francis Ngannou, there’s been talks of me fighting Ben Rothwell … just some insane things have been coming my way. Misfits have started some conversations. … They’re coming in thick and fast, but it’s getting pen to paper and something anchored in. Two totally different things from talking to actually making it happen. But I am up for these.”

A fight with Francis Ngannou is the one that seems to have captured fan imagination, with KSW CEO Martin Lewandowski even pitching the matchup before Hall and Pudzianowski threw down. Of course, Ngannou is the lineal heavyweight champion and possibly the most devastating knockout artist in MMA history, so Hall would not be without some trepidation if that somehow came to fruition.

“Getting in the ring with Francis Ngannou, it scares the living shit out of me,” Hall said. “I’m 99 percent certain he will beat me. But it’s that one percent. That one percent. And I’ve got that one percent. Having that power, you’ve only got to land one shot and you’ve got it.

“Ben Rothwell, the bareknuckle champion, scares the shit out of me. But again, if the money is right, I’ll take any fight. That’s what it’s about. It’s about putting food on the table for my family for generations, and I’ll just pray to god nothing bad happens to me in the process.”

Ngannou has not fought since his PFL debut, a first-round knockout win over Renan Ferreira in October. But “The Predator” currently has other things to worry about. Ngannou recently was involved in the tragic death of a young woman in Cameroon when he allegedly collided with her while riding his motorcycle. It’s unclear how this might affect a possible Ngannou comeback, rendering a fight with Hall unlikely at the moment.

Fortunately, Hall has no shortage of other ideas, including one with his recently felled foe, Mariusz Pudzianowski.

“Hell, maybe me and Mariusz Pudzianowski team up and we do a 2-v-4,” Hall suggested. “That would just be awesome! Two World’s Strongest Men against four good level fighters. That is entertainment, and that’s where I want to go with this.”

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