Count Marvin Vettori among those who aren’t too happy to see all the press surrounding Jake Paul.
Paul, a YouTube star, recently announced a boxing match against Ben Askren, a former UFC contender and champion in both Bellator and ONE. This will be the third boxing match of his career, after picking up knockouts over ex-NBA All-Star Nate Robinson and fellow internet celebrity AnEnsonGib. The amount of exposure and opportunities Paul has received so early into his career has rubbed many in the boxing and MMA communities the wrong way, especially given Paul’s antics towards his fellow competitors.
If a recent Tweet is anything to go by, Vettori is just the latest in a long line of fighters who have grown tired of seeing Paul.
“This Jake Paul bulls— is so disrespectful to all the real fighters,” Vettori wrote. “F— whoever is always trying to take shortcuts in this game. Hope I had the chance to punk this b—- in any training or fight. Blood sweat and tears is what this game is about and he’s none of this.”
Despite all the hate that is – perhaps justifiably – casted towards Paul, it’s not as though he doesn’t have his proponents. Welterweight contender Jorge Masvidal, who owns a five-second knockout over Askren, has been helping the YouTuber prepare for his fight. As well, UFC commentator Joe Rogan recently heaped praise on Paul, saying he believes the internet star has “very good striking technique.”
Regardless of how he feels about Paul, Vettori would probably be better off focusing on the challenges in front of him. ‘The Italian Dream’ is looking to build off an impressive 2020 that saw him earn victories over Karl Roberson and Jack Hermansson, and is expected to face former welterweight title challenger Darren Till on April 10. Vettori has only lost twice since joining the UFC ranks, including a split-decision loss to current 185-pound champ Israel Adesanya. A win over Till could go a long way to getting him his long sought after rematch against ‘The Last Stylebender’.
What do you think about Marvin Vettori’s comments about Jake Paul? Let us know!