Jake Paul has never been one to back down from a fight-whether in the ring or with his critics. The YouTuber-turned-boxer continues to make waves in the boxing world, and his latest feud with UFC President Dana White is grabbing headlines yet again.
For years, White has dismissed Paul‘s boxing career, calling his fights gimmicks and even suggesting they were staged. The latest round of criticism came after Paul’s highly publicized bout against 58-year-old boxing legend Mike Tyson.
At a press conference, White took a jab at Paul, saying, “Jake Paul couldn’t do sh*t to him,”* ridiculing Paul for failing to dominate an aging Tyson.
Paul, however, isn’t one to stay silent. In a recent interview alongside his promoter Nakisa Bidarian, the 27-year-old fighter fired back-not just at White’s comments, but also at widespread accusations that his fights are fixed.
Paul sat down for an interview on All The Smoke Fight, where he addressed rumors that his knockout victories – especially against Tyron Woodley – were staged.
Host Barak brought up the controversy, stating, “Literally, everybody I speak to. To this day, they’re like ‘Oh, that fight (Mike Tyson fight) was rigged.'”
Rather than letting the criticism get to him, Paul took it as a backhanded compliment.
“At the end of the day, I look at it as a compliment because people can’t even comprehend the things that I’m doing,” Paul responded. “They have to chalk it up to something illegal, to drugs, to whatever it is.”
For Paul, the skepticism surrounding his success only validates his impact on boxing. He continued, “I could look at the negative of it all. But it’s all said and done.”
Paul Fires Back at Dana White
The interview also turned toward Dana White‘s frequent criticism of boxing. The UFC president has repeatedly dismissed the sport, claiming it’s no longer as prestigious as it once was. Paul, however, wasn’t having any of it.
“The truth of the matter is boxing is bigger than ever,” Paul declared. “The biggest sporting event of the year in 2024 was boxing. Whereas MMA is becoming a shttier version of boxing, essentially.”
Paul then doubled down, claiming that MMA is moving away from its original form. “There’s not a lot of takedowns, and even if there is, it’s boring. But everyone’s good at takedown defense, so it’s literally kickboxing.” He pointed to UFC star Alex Pereira-who comes from a kickboxing background-as proof that striking is dominating MMA.
Meanwhile, White has been making business moves of his own, engaging in talks with Saudi investors, including His Excellency Turki Alalshikh, to launch a new boxing league. While White has repeatedly criticized modern boxing, he now appears eager to get involved in the sport himself.
When asked if White‘s new venture could succeed, Paul didn’t hold back. “He’s already failed,” he said bluntly. His promoter, Nakisa Bidarian, took a more measured approach, acknowledging White’s influence.
“He’s doing UFC. He has a slap contest league that’s, you know, going. He’s pushing skateboarding… but if you look at his platform and how he exercises his reach, he’s going to try to influence a new boxing league, which is no problem.”
While White may be expanding his empire, Paul remains focused on carving out his own legacy in boxing. His feud with the UFC president is far from over, but if there’s one thing Paul has proven, it’s that he isn’t afraid to take on the biggest names-whether inside or outside the ring.