Daniel Cormier is down to fight Jake Paul.
Among the many headlines that took place at UFC 261 this past weekend was the confrontation between Cormier and Paul who was in attendance.
Both individuals were engaged in a verbal altercation with Cormier notably looking ticked off as he exchanged words with the popular YouTuber.
Paul detailed his side of the story and went on to challenge Cormier to a fight. What kind of fight? Naturally, it would be a boxing match.
But “DC” isn’t having that.
He wants to inflict all the punishment he can on Paul. But only if he he has to — after all, the former two-weight champion doesn’t need to chase a payday.
“I don’t want to fight Jake Paul,” Cormier said on his show with Ariel Helwani (via MMA Fighting). “But I’m not gonna let Jake Paul disrespect me. Let me tell you one thing about Jake Paul and I’ll refer back to the Conor McGregor deal. Conor went to fight Floyd, made a ton of money, because he had to. Floyd Mayweather is the greatest boxer of all time, so you go play on his playing field. Why would I go and box Jake Paul? Who I am doesn’t make me chase anything. I made my money as the heavyweight champion of the world. I don’t have to chase a payday.
“This kid wants to fight, okay, I’ll fight him. But it will be a mixed martial arts competition. If he wants to actually fight with me, fight me in mixed martial arts and then I’ll fight him all the way down at 205. I’m living fat and happy and healthy, I’ll go all the way down to 205 to fight this kid in mixed martial arts. If you really want to fight me, like seriously fight me, fight me in mixed martial arts. This is not going to be fun. I’m telling you right now, at 42 years old, bad back and everything, I’m going to torture him and I’m going to hurt him. I don’t want to box him, I don’t want to fight in a limited skill set of rules. If you want to fight me, you really want to fight me, fight me in a mixed martial arts competition. I’ll go all the way back to 205 and I’m going to smash him and I’m going to hurt him and then he can go back to fighting these YouTube kids.
“But don’t think for a second that I would ever chase a payday in boxing because I don’t need it. I’m good. I made my money as the champion of the world. If you want to really fight me, you got an issue with me, fight me in mixed martial arts and I’m going to torture you and I’m going to rip his face apart and I’m gonna hurt the kid. I will teach these kids not to continue to do this with people like me, athletes. I will hurt the kid.”
Do you think an MMA fight would ever happen between the pair?