Social media star Jake Paul, currently moonlighting as a celebrity boxer, has knocked out every opponent he’s ever faced inside the squared circle. That includes former UFC welterweight champion Tyron Woodley, who kissed the canvas in their late 2021 rematch.
So what would happen if Paul fought reigning UFC 170-pound titleholder Kamaru Usman?
“Listen, me and (Paul) get in a scrap right now, he could touch me,” Usman told I Am Athlete podcast (transcribed by Farah Hannoun). “I’m not naive or ignorant enough to think – let them put it on the news. I’m a realist. I know I’m gonna dog walk him, but at the same time, everyone has a puncher’s chance.”
Usman, 35, is 20-1 inside the Octagon and perhaps one or two fights away from cleaning out the entire division, which is why the MMA media has been contemplating crossover bouts against the likes of Paul, as well as boxing icon Saul Alvarez.
But when it comes to risk vs. reward, “Canelo” is the champ’s clear choice.
“Me fighting Jake Paul, I’m helping him,” Usman continued. “I beat Jake Paul, nobody cares. You’re supposed to beat him. I still get a bank account now. I still get that. I beat Canelo, biggest athlete in the world, not even close, 100 million in the bank. If I’m gonna gamble, I’m gonna gamble well.”
Speaking of gambling, Usman is a healthy betting favorite to retain his 170-pound title when he collides with top welterweight contender Leon Edwards atop the UFC 278 pay-per-view (PPV) card on Aug. 20 inside Vivint Arena in Salt Lake City, Utah.
For much more on that upcoming fight card click here.