‘Jake Paul’s doing a great thing for the boxing world,’ claimed the former UFC champion.
Jake Paul went 4-0 in his pro boxing career when he took a split decision over Tyron Woodley in August. That win, over a former UFC welterweight champion, followed up on Paul’s first round KO of ex-Bellator welterweight champ Ben Askren.
For his next fight, Paul has pivoted away from former MMA fighters. Reportedly he has agreed to face Tommy Fury, a pro boxer and reality star who is also the little brother of heavyweight king Tyson Fury.
Fury fought on the Paul vs. Woodley undercard, defeating Paul’s sparring partner Anthony Taylor (an MMA fighter) by unanimous decision. That win took the 22-year-old’s record to 7-0.
The fight with Fury comes after Paul warned the British fighter that he was close to losing out on his chance to scoop the big payday Paul brings with him into the boxing ring. Paul’s annoyance at Fury’s negotiation tactics lead to a humiliation bet clause in their bout agreement. If Fury loses to Paul he is obligated to legally change his name to ‘Tommy Fumbles’.
Paul’s last fight featured a similar kind of bet, with Woodley being forced—eventually, after a drawn out and boring back and forth—to get ‘I love Jake Paul’ tattooed on his body.
Fury will be Paul’s first opponent with a pro boxing record. However, some don’t think that will matter much in this contest.
Former UFC middleweight champion Michael Bisping recently went on the record picking ‘The Problem Child’ to beat Fury.
“Tommy Fury struggled against Anthony Taylor,” said Bisping on his YouTube channel (ht Dexerto). “If he struggled against Anthony Taylor, he’s going to struggle against Jake Paul. That’s just my two cents.”
“Jake Paul isn’t just a YouTuber,” continued Bisping. “He’s a boxer now. He’s still a YouTuber, but he’s also a boxer. Just because you discover your love for the sweet science later in life doesn’t mean you have to be labelled a YouTuber your entire life.
“The reality is, Jake Paul’s doing a great thing in the boxing world. Jake Paul’s bringing a lot of attention, a lot of eyes to the boxing world.”
Paul vs. Fury is reportedly set for December 18 in Miami, Fl. The fight will be broadcast on Showtime. Paul’s older brother Logan Paul is reportedly set to face Mike Tyson in 2022.