Despite being able to prove himself inside the ring, Jake Paul is still viewed by many as a joke. But he could turn things around by picking the best opponent there is.
Once again, YouTube sensation-turned-pro boxer Jake Paul showed boxing fans around the world what he's really capable of inside the ring in his hyped rematch against former UFC champion Tyron Woodley on Saturday.
Six rounds were all “The Problem Child” needed to put a former world champion face-first on the canvas with a hard right hook that landed straight to Woodley's chin, instantly knocking him out cold.
As expected, the loud boxing rising star immediately called out celebrated fighters as his next opponent, begging for a bigger fish.
“Please, please let me get Kamaru Usman, let me get [Nate] Diaz, let me get [Jorge] Masvidal, let me get [Conor] McGregor because I’m going to embarrass them too,” Paul said after his win via BJPenn.com.
Paul further pointed out that after a stunning performance and all the hard work he has been puttin in which is similar to that of Saul “Canelo” Alvarez's, he deserves to fight a legitimate world-class fighter next.
“People should be scared. Nobody is safe. Everyone is on high alert,” he stressed via Sky Sports. “After two years as a professional, this is astronomical. I would love to fight higher opposition as I go. Maybe, when the time is right, I'll go for the world title. “Four massive fights in 13 months – nobody in the history of boxing has done what I've done at this age.”
“The only person as active as me is Saul ‘Canelo' Alvarez,” he continued. “I've knocked out everyone that I've fought. Turned them all into memes! “I'm ready to fight whoever – professional boxer or UFC champions.”
With the wild events happening in combat sports these days, it is safe to say that yes, Paul deserves to be handed the fights he wants, and the list is long.
Jorge Masvidal
UFC star Jorge Masvidal is known for not backing down on any one wanting to get a piece of him. However, he's still tied up with the UFC and it makes it hard for “Gamebred” to make a fight against Jake Paul happen.
Apart from that, Masvidal thinks Paul “can't afford” him. But if Paul would insists, Masvidal wants him to come to the UFC instead.
“Listen man, you can’t f*****g afford me. Me and those other names you mentioned, you can’t afford,” Masvidal said in a social media video.
“You are giving out free tickets, you got street teams giving out free tickets. You can’t afford me to come over there,” he continued. “Let me tell you a little secret you don’t know, I fight for money or I fight the best in the world. You’re neither. You understand? I know it hurts. You’re neither the best in the world or making money. I’ll tell you what, come on over to the UFC, sign a one-fight deal, let Dana [White] give you whatever he has to pay you and I’ll break your jaw in front of the whole world, I promise you that. If you really want it come get it. Man to man s**t.”
The Diaz Brothers (Nick or Nate)
In a perfect world, the Diaz brothers can fight the Paul brothers. However, that is a bit far-fetched at this point. But Jake Paul can pursue either Nick or Nate.
Between the two, Nate is evidently more active and is still a commodity in the UFC. Nick, meanwhile, seems to be approaching the twilight years of his career. Nevertheless, a win over either of them can be a good addition to Paul's resume.
Undeniably, every fighter wants to get linked up with Conor McGregor for obvious reasons. Despite coming off back-to-back losses, everyone knows that “The Notorious” is synonymous to “money.”
Atop that, Paul is well aware that beating a phenomenal superstar and former UFC two-division champion like McGregor will surely catapult his name to the top.
Mike Tyson
If there's one man who can make the unthinkable happen in the fight game, it's no other than Mike Tyson. Well, who would've thought that “Iron Mike” will actually come out of retirement after 15 long years to take another legendary boxer in Roy Jones Jr. All told, a fight with Jake Paul will not be impossible.
It is true that fighting younger fighters makes a lot of sense but let's be for real, it's Mike Tyson.
Paul knows that though some may not take it seriously, a match against Tyson will be significant for the legacy he's been building. However, the only thing unsure is if he can survive Tyson inside the ring.