There are very few rivalries as intense as Jake Paul‘s and Dana White‘s. The two have been at each other’s throats for a while now, with neither of them letting any opportunity slip by to drop verbal bombs and throw jibes at each other. But how did two of the biggest names in the combat sports world brew such animosity that it continued to spill out in public? It all started with the UFC CEO throwing shade on the American fighter on Mike Tyson‘s podcast.

Paul was making waves in the boxing world, ushering the sport into the dawn of influencer boxing, especially with his fight with Ben Askren. However, White didn’t like the idea of it and wanted the former UFC fighter to ‘wipe the floor’ with him. The two then went back and forth, with Paul, now 27, calling out White for his appearance but, more importantly, for paying his fighters less.

Jake Paul calls out Dana White on fighter pay feud

The fighters’ pay has been the major bone of contention between them. It first triggered a heated debate when the YouTuber-turned-prizefighter disclosed that he had more money in his third boxing fight itself than any UFC fighter in history, not named Conor McGregor or Khabib Nurmagomedov. His scathing statement asked, “Maybe it’s time to pay your fighters their fair share?”

Did you know that the UFC mints $1 billion in revenue but only pays its fighters a 15% share? When put in contrast with other sports such as MLB and NFL, the number is closer to 50%. It’s a shocking bit of information, isn’t it? When he sat with ‘Iron Mike’, Paul reiterated his stance and said, “I don’t hate him [Dana White] either. I just want him to pay fighters more. You know, now that the company is making billions of dollars a year, and the fighters are only getting 15% of it.”

The UFC lost one of its stars, Francis Ngannou, because of a dispute with pay, who more recently ventured into boxing and collected millions. A similar story runs around Nate Diaz, one of the most famous faces the UFC ever produced, who, after completing his contractual obligations with the UFC, opted for boxing and pulled Paul as his debut opponent.

Dana White hits back at Jake Paul 

So, when the ‘Stockton Slapper’ honed his boxing skills and was ready to pick up a hefty payout of $10 million, White was upset with the development. The 54-year-old blasted Paul for cherry-picking and falling back on the trend of fighting former UFC fighters, who were well into their twilight years of careers. It also gained more significance, as the American influencer was coming into the fight on the heels of his career’s first loss against Tommy Fury.

Expressing his candid views on The Jim Rome Show, White declared, “Listen, Jake Paul went out and fought a real boxer who was his age, his weight, and he lost. So as soon as he loses, he goes back to a 40-year-old MMA fighter who’s smaller than him [and] not his weight.”

The UFC lynchpin has expressed his distaste for influencer boxing on multiple occasions. He had announced when Paul was going against Hasim Rahman Jr., “That’s not the business I’m in. I’m in a different business than that. I’m in the tough fight business.” But here is the thing: there is a growing list of UFC fighters going the same route. So, has anything changed between the two in the last couple of years, for better or worse?

Are Dana White and Logan Paul friends?

Despite all the shenanigans and theatrics, public outrage, and verbal sludges, White has a mellowed attitude towards the Cleveland native. “I don’t f*cking hate Jake Paul,” the UFC head-honcho would declare after Paul had breezed to a win against Diaz last August. However, Paul’s attention-grabbing antics are something that caused friction between the two, but White understands it too. “He’s always looking for attention, and he’s doing his thing. Whatever–it’s all good,” he added. That’s not it.

What’s amusing is White’s business deal with Paul’s elder brother, Logan Paul. The WWE star and KSI’s ‘Prime’ is the official drink of the UFC, and it remains one of the notable sponsors of the promotion now. While there is no cordial bond between White and Paul, their relationship is one of love and hate, with hate and public slander occupying the larger part of it.

Did you know why Jake Paul can’t attend the UFC event? What do you make of this rivalry between Dana White and him? Let us know in the comments below.