Well, here we are again. Social media influencer turned combat sports instigator Jake Paul took another trip through the ropes and into the ring—this time in…
Jake Paul Says He's Going to Retire Tommy Fury During Fight in NSFW Video
Feb 22, 2023
TAMPA, FLORIDA - DECEMBER 18: Jake Paul reacts to knocking out Tyron Woddley in the sixth round during an eight-round cruiserweight bout at the Amalie Arena on December 18, 2021 in Tampa, Florida. (Photo by Mike Ehrmann/Getty Images)
Jake Paul isn't looking to just knock out Tommy Fury when the two step into the ring Sunday in Saudi Arabia. He's looking to end the 23-year-old's boxing career.
In a profanity-laced video captioned "Dear Tommy..." posted to Twitter on Wednesday, Paul promised to "decapitate" Fury, predicting their bout won't last more than four rounds:
"Tommy, I hope you've enjoyed these last few moments of your career. This is it. You're going to be retired from boxing after this. You're going to be disowned by your family. ... I'm coming to take your f--king head off. Decapitate you. I'm a mean, angry person deep down. I'm going to take out all of it on your f--king face, and there's nothing you can do to f--king beat me. I'm built different. I want this more than you."
Fury made similar comments about Paul earlier this week, saying, "When I'm done, this guy will never box ever again," per MMA Junkie's Simon Samano.
After two unsuccessful attempts to line up a fight, Paul vs. Fury has been a long time coming.
The fight was initially scheduled for December 2021, but it was called off when Fury was dealing with medical issues. They two tried to set up another fight in August 2022, but Fury said his visa was denied and he couldn't travel to the United States.
Paul, a YouTuber-turned-boxer, made his debut in 2020 with a win over AnEsonGib. He holds a 6-0 record with four knockout victories and wins over Anderson Silva, Tyron Woodley, Ben Askren and Nate Robinson.
Fury boasts an 8-0 record with four knockouts and wins over Jevgenijs Andrejevs, Callum Ide, Przemyslaw Binienda, Genadij Krajevskij, Scott Williams, Jordan Grant, Anthony Taylor and Daniel Bocianski.
UFC Legend Luke Rockhold Calls out Jake Paul: 'I'd Beat That Guy in My Sleep'
Jan 23, 2023
SALT LAKE CITY, UTAH - AUGUST 20: Luke Rockhold stands in his corner before facing Paulo Costa of Brazil in a middleweight fight during the UFC 278 event at Vivint Arena on August 20, 2022 in Salt Lake City, Utah. (Photo by Chris Unger/Zuffa LLC)
Jake Paul doesn't need to look far to find an opponent for his mixed martial arts debut.
Former UFC middleweight champion Luke Rockhold told TMZ Sports he'd be happy to oppose Paul inside the cage (warning: video contains NSFW language).
"Stop trying to fight little dudes. F--king [155]-pounders," he said. "You're a middleweight. If you want to fight a middleweight, I got hands. We can do anything we want. I really don't care. I'd beat that guy in my sleep."
ESPN's Brett Okamoto reported on Jan. 5 that Paul signed a "multi-fight, multiyear" contract with the Professional Fighters League, which will see him pivot from boxing to MMA.
Paul hasn't announced his first MMA fight, and he told Okamoto he might take as much as a year to train before he competes. That hasn't stopped the 26-year-old from challenging MMA legend Nate Diaz, though.
In the event negotiations with Diaz fall through or never get off the ground, Rockhold would be a more than suitable foe. The 38-year-old is 16-6 over his professional career. He retired following his unanimous-decision loss to Paulo Costa at UFC 278 last August.
Jake Paul Says KSI Hasn't Responded to Contract Offer for Fight in United Kingdom
Jan 10, 2023
MIAMI, FLORIDA - JANUARY 30: Jake Paul and KSI argue after Paul defeated AnEsonGib in a first round knockout during their fight at Meridian at Island Gardens on January 30, 2020 in Miami, Florida. (Photo by Michael Reaves/Getty Images)
YouTubers-turned-boxers KSI and Jake Paul have been circling each other for quite some time now, but many are wondering what has been causing the delay in scheduling a fight between them.
Paul took to Twitter to shed some light on the situation, claiming that he sent a contract offer to KSI for a match in the United Kingdom in December, but the London native has yet to respond:
The offer was / is to come to the UK in December 2023. If he doesn’t respond next week after his show, then it’s going to have to be in the US.
KSI told Ariel Helwani on Monday's episode of The MMA Hour that they're "working on it, and we're looking like November, December" regarding a fight against Paul. However, he noted that he expects it to be a contentious negotiating process between both sides, and for now, he's focused on his next opponent:
KSI was expected to face Bellator MMA fighter Dillon Danis on Jan. 14, but the latter withdrew from the fight last week. The 29-year-old will now face pro-gamer FaZe Temperrr at Wembley Stadium.
It seems unthinkable. A true challenge to the UFC's hegemony as the No. 1 organization in mixed martial arts? Many have tried and, so far, no one has...
Alex Rodriguez Joins Professional Fighters League as Investor, Board Member
May 19, 2022
PHOENIX, ARIZONA - MAY 15: Alex Rodriguez greets a young fan before Game Seven of the 2022 NBA Playoffs Western Conference Semifinals between the Dallas Mavericks and the Phoenix Suns at Footprint Center on May 15, 2022 in Phoenix, Arizona. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images)
Former MLB All-Star Alex Rodriguez is joining a rising MMA promotion, the Professional Fighters League, as an investor and a member of its board of directors.
"I love the global reach of MMA," Rodriguez said in a statement. "The PFL continues to build and innovate for fans, media and fighters, and there is massive demand in the marketplace."
The Professional Fighters League was founded in 2018 with the idea of having fighters compete in a regular-season and playoff format, similar to how major professional sports leagues operate. Standings are determined by the result of a fight, with a win in earlier rounds garnering more points in the aggregate.
It's unclear how much of an investment Rodriguez made in the promotion, which has successfully pulled off three seasons to date. The company announced Rodriguez's inclusion on the board as part of a $30 million round of new funding.
The three-time AL MVP has been increasing his investment foothold in the sports world in recent years, becoming a minority owner of the NBA's Minnesota Timberwolves and the WNBA's Minnesota Lynx in 2021.
Rodriguez made $455.1 million during his MLB career, not counting endorsements.
