Paul Favored 2-1 Over Bisping

Jake Paul’s rise up the combat sports ranks has to continue at some point. It’s been nearly six months since Paul knocked out Tyron Woodley in their rematch, and the social media star is getting antsy for further competition. Most recently, he’s targeted a boxing showdown vs. retired UFC Middleweight champion Michael Bisping, promising to “whoop your old ass.”

Bisping and Paul have traded words back-and-forth on several occasions, but this is the first time “Problem Child” has really gotten serious about boxing “The Count.” As such, opening odds for the potential match up have dropped, and oddsmakers see Paul as a significant favorite.

Per Bodog, Paul has opened at -220, a more than 2-1 favorite. Meanwhile, the action comes back on Bisping at +155.

Naturally, these odds are up for debate and will move with public opinion. Though it may seem a touch outrageous to favor Paul over the former Middleweight champion, there’s reason that confidence in Paul is high at the moment. He remains undefeated as a boxer, has shown genuine knockout power, and now has two wins over another UFC champ.

Bisping is 43 years of age and has one functional eye.

At the same time, Bisping is an actually Middleweight! Unlike every one of Paul’s passed opponents, Bisping would not be significantly smaller than his opponent. Furthermore, Bisping is a longtime striker, not a wrestler like Ben Askren. He should be far more comfortable and accustomed to trading in big gloves. After all, the UFC Hall of Famer was a professional kickboxer before his MMA career.

All in all, it seems like a reasonable next step for Paul, a challenging but not impossible opponent. But, is there money to be made on this line?