Jake Paul might not have been able to conquer Tommy Fury, but he did defeat some great names in the UFC world. Whether it’s Nate Diaz, Tyrone Woodley, or even Anderson Silva, a legend of the sport, nobody came close to taking down Paul. However, these fights have garnered a lot of criticism for ‘The Problem Child,’ suggesting he only fights old people, and Michael Jai White agrees.
American actor, director, and martial artist Jai White, known for his roles in ‘Falcon Rising’ and ‘Never Back Down,’ appeared in an interview with Vlad TV in 2022. The same recently resurfaced as Paul prepares to face Mike Tyson! In the old clip, White claimed he was surprised that Paul beat ‘The Spider,’ but true to all the criticism about Paul, White agreed Paul could not beat someone of his own age.
Michael Jai White claimed Anderson Silva could do more!
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During the old interview, the host highlighted that even though Paul has achieved great things in the sport, “The criticism is that he’s only fighting people over 40 years old. Tyron Woodley is 40. Silva is 47. The MMA guy that he fought is probably in his 40s.” Later, when asked about whether White thinks if Paul faced a proper boxer of his own age, would the results be the same?
White clarified that Paul could never win against someone his own age from a boxing background. “Of course not,” said White. Meanwhile, at the beginning of the interview, White expressed his surprise at Paul winning against Silva. He said, “It surprised me. Jake beating Anderson surprised me.”
White elaborated that he always knew Paul could punch, but he expected more from Anderson because of the latter’s experience in combat sports. “I know Jake had a punch on him. [But] I thought Anderson Silva had better defensive skills,” said White. Meanwhile, the head of UFC has given his verdict on Jake Paul fighting Mike Tyson with a 31-year age gap.
Dana White isn’t sure Mike Tyson can win against Jake Paul
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Following the announcement of the fight by Tyson and Paul on social media, Dana White was asked about his thoughts during the UFC 299 post-fight press conference. Dana has been, for the most part, a critic of Paul fighting older opponents, and his opinion on the Tyson vs. Paul fight reflected it.
Answering the reporter, the CEO of UFC stated, “Mike’s 60, man! I don’t know. What do you guys think about it? Who gives a s**t what I think? It’s not my fight. I love Mike Tyson, personally, as a friend.” He further added, “I don’t like to see guys fighting with a 31-year age difference.”
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With that said, this wouldn’t be the first time Paul is fighting an aging opponent, Mike Tyson being the oldest of the bunch yet. However, some are speculating that even at the age of 57, the ‘Baddest man on the Planet’ can throw down. Do you think Jake Paul will do the same thing to Tyson that he did to Silva? Let us know in the comments below.
Read More: Fighting Mike Tyson Might Be the Smartest Decision Jake Paul Has Made for His Career So Far