The Jake Paul experiment is still ongoing and could soon trickle over into mixed martial arts (MMA).
While the social media star is still doing his best to become a legitimate boxer Paul has already hinted at an eventual move from the ring to the cage. Rumors have swirled as to which promotions would be interested in giving Paul a chance to compete in MMA and well-known organizations like Bellator MMA and Professional Fighters League (PFL) have risen to the top.
Those are certainly suitable landing spots for Paul, especially considering he has zero MMA experience, but the biggest fights for “Problem Child” still reside in Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC). Matchups with the likes of Conor McGregor, Jorge Masvidal, and even Nate Diaz would be massive draws at the pay-per-view (PPV) box office, but UFC president Dana White has already expressed zero interest in ever doing business with Paul.
However, White has recently opened the door for a potential UFC fight for Jake’s brother, Logan Paul, who also has zero experience competing under MMA rules. Maybe that has loosened White’s stance on the younger Paul brother and his chances of one day fighting inside of the Octagon.
“I think it’s timing and proving myself more in the boxing side of things, and pretty soon the UFC and MMA side, it’ll be undeniable for me to get into the Octagon or fight for one of these other organizations against a big name. So I think it’s all a timing thing and Dana seems to be open to it,” Paul said on Teddy Atlas’ podcast. “He said on my brother’s podcast he might let Logan fight in the UFC and I think he’s coming around to me and starting to see what I’m about and what I actually stand for. Obviously, he doesn’t like me harping on the fighter pay side of things and sort of harming his business, and being a shareholder in Endeavor and pushing on the investment side of things. There’s definitely a feud there, so we’ll see what happens.”
As of now, Paul remains focused on padding his perfect 5-0 boxing record and making as much money as possible. The 25-year-old seems to be challenging himself a bit more each time he steps inside of the ring, but a crossover to the Octagon would leave Paul completely out of his comfort zone.
At the end of the day, isn’t that what White wants to see for the social media sensation?