Jake Paul has had a sensational 2024. He started his own Men’s Hygiene Care Brand, ‘W’ in June. His sports media and micro-betting app, Betr, raised $15 million in capital in its latest round, raising its valuation to a whopping $375 million. And if that wasn’t enough, he also managed to dominate the boxing scene in 2024. The Problem Child fought three times this year and remained undefeated. After the victory against Mike Tyson in a historic bout last week, he declared himself the “face of boxing,” much to the dismay of the boxing community.

Well, it looks like the UFC veteran Chael Sonnen believes Jake Paul’s claims. ‘The Bad Guy’ shared a video on his YouTube channel hailing the Problem Child and whatever he has done for boxing in the year 2024 as helping transform the sport.

Is Jake Paul transforming boxing?

Claiming all the criticism flung towards the YouTuber as unfair, in the clip, Sonnen claimed, “If anybody has come into a dirty filthy industry like this one and told us the truth, it’s Jake Paul.” Sonnen added, “Jake Paul is Man of the Year for boxing; he was Man of the Year last year,” and talked about how the 27-year-old was behind the biggest boxing event ever with Jake Paul vs. Mike Tyson. “Jake Paul promoted this event. Did record numbers. Got an entire distribution network known as Netflix to believe in him. Got a partner in Mike Tyson,” stated the 47-year-old, explaining Jake Paul’s prowess in putting together huge events.

The UFC veteran then explained how Paul also helps elevate every other boxer on the card and not just himself. He specifically mentioned the Amanda Serrano–Katie Taylor fight. He stated, “One thing that Jake Paul does, he gets up in the loft but he doesn’t pull the ladder up behind him. He always leaves the ladder down so someone else can get up. I’m going to Katie and I’m going to Amanda. It was the greatest fight I’ve ever seen in women’s (fight) and then you can stop right there.” 

According to Sonnen, Amanda Serrano vs. Katie Taylor was the greatest women’s fight ever, not just in boxing but across the combat sports landscape. Comparing the bout to the fights put on by women champions from other eras and sports like Ronda Rousey, Kayla Harrison, and Laila Ali, the Bad Guy argued that the historic fight happened solely because of Jake Paul.

It looks like Chael Sonnen is not the only UFC legend delighted by The Problem Child and his way of doing things. Former UFC bantamweight champion Henry Cejudo also praised Jake Paul and stated that Paul’s value can only go up from here.

Jake Paul: the biggest ‘cash cow’ in boxing

On his ‘Pound 4 Pound’ podcast, Cejudo expressed his delight about how much Jake Paul earns in every fight. He added, “Jake Paul has become the fighter right now that everybody wants to fight. Because right now, he is the cash cow. He made $40 million just off of Netflix, and I’m not talking about it. There’s still going to be concessions, gate.” However, at this point, it is not clear whether the $40 million figure includes his share of revenue from ticket sales and other sponsorship deals.

Cejudo added that the 11-1 boxer’s value is only going to increase and “He’s going to wind up maybe pulling anywhere between $50 to 60 million.” Furthermore, the Olympic gold medalist praised the Problem Child for ensuring that his opponents are well compensated. “When I read anybody that fights Jake Paul, Jake Paul’s taking care of these dudes, but I appreciate that,” stated Cejudo.

Reportedly, Mike Tyson earned $20 million for his bout in the AT&T Stadium, making it one of his highest paydays. Not only that, Amanda Serrano and Katie Taylor also reportedly earned two of the biggest purses in women’s boxing history.

Jake Paul has been vocal about the issues of fighter pay and he is a man of his word. The 27-year-old reportedly reduced his payday against Tyron Woodley to ensure fair payment for the undercard fighters.

The numbers don’t lie. Right now, the numbers are stating that El Gallo puts up the biggest boxing events in the world and no one can deny that. So, declaring him the Man Of The Year for boxing might not be far-fetched. Because, every time he fights, the world watches.

What are your thoughts on Chael Sonnen’s comments? Do you think Jake Paul is the Man Of The Year in boxing? Let us know your thoughts down below.