Dana White thinks he knows exactly how Jake Paul would fare against the very best in boxing.
The YouTuber turned fighter has amassed a professional boxing record of 11-1 by defeating other internet celebrities, aging MMA stars and ring legend Mike Tyson.
However, he claims he wants to become world champion and fight Saul 'Canelo' Alvarez, who is widely regarded as one of the sport's pound-for-pound best.
Jake Paul and Dana White share a long, bitter history. Yet the UFC boss insisted he bore no ill will from the 27-year-old as he made a brutal assessment of his chances against Canelo.
Photo by Chris Unger/Zuffa LLC
Gone within 30 seconds
In June, the UFC CEO spoke about Canelo Alvarez and his long-term boxing dominance.
That, of course, turned into a conversation about Jake Paul, who has drafted the Mexican superstar despite the fact that he doesn't seem particularly interested in the matchup.
“People talk trash and say whatever they want to say, but look at Canelo,” White told Shannon Sharpe.
“Canelo is still the man. He jumps in and he does it, he goes to work and it's hard to stay at that level for very long. What is this guy cutting? $40 million per fight?
He added about Canelo vs. Paul: “It would be a 30-second payday for Canelo. I don't know why Canelo wouldn't do it… Canelo can fight real guys, keep his credibility intact and still make that kind of money.
“Jake needs Tyson and all these other people because everyone is going to tune in hoping Mike Tyson is going to knock him out. They don't tune in because they think Jake Paul is a great fighter and they want to see him fight.
Jake Paul's team addresses 'fictional claims' about Mike Tyson fight
Jake Paul's entire combat sports career has been dogged by unsubstantiated claims of 'rigged' fights and imaginary contract clauses that detract from his achievements.
Despite drawing 60 million viewers to Netflix for his fight with Mike Tyson, malicious rumors continued to circulate on social media.
On Monday, Paul's company, Most Valuable Promotions, issued an official statement addressing the “fictitious claims that undermine the integrity of the Paul-Tyson fight.”
It said: “Following the widespread dissemination of false and unsubstantiated claims that undermine the integrity of the Paul vs. Undermining Tyson Event, Most Valuable Promotions (MVP) wants to set the record straight regarding the contractual agreements and the nature of the fight.
“Fixing a professional boxing match is a federal crime in the United States of America. Paul vs. Tyson was a professional match sanctioned by the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulations (TDLR). Both fighters performed in good faith to the best of their ability with the goal of winning the fight. There were absolutely no restrictions – contractual or otherwise – surrounding either fighter. Each boxer could use his full arsenal to win the fight. Any agreement to the contrary would be in violation of the TDLR boxing rules.
“Trash talk and speculation are common in sports, and athletes and promoters must tolerate nonsensical comments, jokes and opinions. But to suggest anything other than full effort from these fighters is not only naive, but an insult to the work they put into their craft and to the sport itself.
“It is further illogical and senseless that MVP, in the debut of a hopeful long-term partnership with the world's largest streamer – an organization that made its first-ever foray into live professional sports with Paul vs. Tyson – even consider such a perverse violation of competition rules.”
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