Influencer and YouTube personality Jake Paul has gotten plenty of recognition from his forays in boxing. He’s even gotten the attention of Dana White, who is the current President of the UFC.
After five boxing wins under his belt, the amateur boxer is looking for more opponents to face in the ring. Unfortunately, his options are limited, especially considering that White won’t let any of his UFC fighters do so.
The Back and Forth Between Paul and White
Following his knockout win against Tyron Woodley, Paul called out Nate Diaz and Jorge Masvidal, who were both in the arena during the event, to fight him next. However, without White’s approval, Paul is unlikely to face off against any fighter under contract with the UFC. During an episode of “The Fight with Teddy Atlas” podcast, White went on the record to say that he had no intention of allowing either Diaz or Masvidal to fight Paul.
Then, on January 1, 2022, Paul tweeted out to White with a list of demands concerning UFC fighter pay and healthcare benefits. First, he wanted White to increase every fighter’s pay to $50,000 per fight — a huge jump from the current $12,000 — as well as offer them 50% of the company’s annual revenues. Paul also demanded that White provide his fighters with long-term healthcare perks, which is likely in direct response to when White said that brain damage was “part of the gig.” The offer would stand for five days and if White accepted, Paul would quit boxing and agree to a one-time fight with Masvidal.
Less than a day after Paul’s tweet, White replies with a video. In it, White says that the amateur boxer publicly said that he used cocaine when he does not. He then goes on to accuse Paul of using steroids. Given this, White wants to randomly test Paul for steroid use for the next two years. White ends the video by telling Paul to start his own business, especially if he thinks that the UFC is “doing something wrong” and that he can “treat the fighters better.” He then calls out Paul again, saying that he’s no superstar and can’t sell pay-per-views, which is why he’s turning to “pay-per-view superstars,” like Jorge Masvidal and Connor McGregor.
Paul replies with a video of his own the next day. He denies White’s claims about his use of steroids and his piggybacking on UFC’s “pay-per-view superstars,” citing that his mother gets more Instagram likes than Masvidal. After which he chastises White for ignoring his demands, calling him a “dog in the corner.” Paul then goes on to explain that he is “trying to change the sport forever” and that his main issue is that White refuses to give his fighters more than $12,000 per fight and the proper healthcare safeguards.
Many are happy to see Paul standing up for fighters getting better pay, believing that it sheds light on the greedy corporate practices within the UFC. However, others are not so sure about Paul’s intentions, thinking that the influencer might only be doing it for clout. After all, the Paul brothers are no stranger to controversy. Though regardless of Paul’s intentions, there’s no doubt that his statements have riled up the MMA community and have gotten people talking about the UFC.
As of today, White has yet to accept Paul’s proposals and has not made a response to the amateur boxer’s video. It’s also still unclear who Paul will be facing off against next.