Influencer turned pro boxer Jake ‘The Problem Child’ Paul has made quite a name for himself in the boxing scene over the past few years. Paul has faced quite a number of MMA fighters and boxers in his rise, which included the likes of Anderson Silva, Ben Askren, Nate Diaz, and Tyron Woodley twice. He amassed an 8-1 record in pro boxing and now has his sights on a different sport.
Recently, Paul had been teasing a switch to MMA, which was confirmed when he signed a deal with the PFL. And now, ‘The Problem Child’ is aiming to take on a former opponent, Nate Diaz, for his first fight in MMA. However, Tyron Woodley doesn’t seem to be a fan of the matchup.
Tryon Woodley slams PFL for not reaching out
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Former welterweight Tyron Woodley had comments about Paul making his debut inside the Octagon. And he did not seem to be a fan of the idea of Paul facing off against Nate Diaz. Implying that the fight between the two would make the most sense, he stated, “I think, if you’re gonna fight anybody in MMA, you fight me in MMA. I’m the one that had the crazy millions and millions of views on a press conference.”
Despite getting knocked out by Paul in their last outing, Woodley explained why he deserved the rematch, saying, “They came to me and asked me can I fill in because Tommy, Tommy couldn’t fight. So I’m just the guy that stepped up. And I stepped up in a major way. And MMA wise. The fact that we’re not even speaking about me fighting him, especially with my affiliation with the PFL. It’s kind of disrespectful.”
Woodley gave the example of former UFC superstars Paige VanZant and Sage Northcutt, saying, “You got to come in right into the fire. That’s how it works. I mean, you can’t Sage Northcutt or Paige VanZant or do all those different situations. They had to fight real people, fought top competition, no matter how much push they got”
Though Jake Paul won both fights against Woodley, the former UFC welterweight champion seems eager to get the losses back. However, how likely is it that we see Jake Paul fight in an MMA promotion?
‘The Problem Child’ on signing with the PFL
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It was reported that Jake Paul signed a multi-year contract with Donn Davis and the PFL and is looking to make his MMA debut in 2024 in the “Super Fight” division. ‘The Problem Child’ has shown interest in fighting against former UFC star Nate Diaz. However, nothing has been finalized for the fight yet.
“Nate Diaz is the perfect opponent, but he’s ducked and keeps offering excuses,” stated Paul. Jake Paul claims that he would be a good matchup against Diaz as he has a wrestling background, and with his success in boxing over the years, he believes that it would be an interesting matchup.
Also Read: Jake and Logan Paul Make $40 Million Offer to Andrew and Tristan Tate for a Fight in PFL
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Despite Diaz reportedly not wanting to fight Paul, ‘The Problem Child’ has now been called out by the former welterweight champion, Tyron Woodley. How do you think Paul would fare against Woodley in a rematch inside the cage? Let us know what you think about the matchup in the comments section below.
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