The combat sports community has spent so much time over the last few weeks talking about social media star Jake Paul, for reasons I still don’t understand, that much of the attention has shifted away from his brother Logan, who will box pound-for-pound great Floyd Mayweather in February.
Sadly, that’s one of the few ways promoters can make money these days.
But for those purists who don’t expect the YouTube personality to put up much resistance, former Mayweather foe Victor Ortiz wants you to know that Paul is likely to give “Money” a much harder fight than former UFC lightweight champion Conor McGregor, who was stopped by the undefeated pugilist back in late 2017.
“Conor couldn’t do nothing,” Ortiz told MMA Fighting. “I don’t mean to speak bad. Conor’s a heck of a UFC fighter in the Octagon, but he has no business in a ring, as opposed to someone like Logan – Logan learned in a ring. So his stuff is all standup. Everything about Logan is boxing, angles, moving, so it’s two different worlds. I couldn’t tell you what someone like Logan or myself could do in an Octagon, but stick to what you know. And Logan, he knows boxing right now.”
The only professional experience Paul has inside the squared circle is a six-round, split-decision loss to fellow YouTube star KSI. Not that McGregor had any kind of boxing resume at the time of his Mayweather fight, but at least “Notorious” came from a combat sports background with years of stand-up under his belt.
If we’re going to talk about advantages, you can argue that Paul is 25 and much bigger than Mayweather, who turns 44 in just a few weeks. “Money” may still be without a loss, but Father Time is truly undefeated when it comes to professional sports. Not sure that’s enough to pick Paul, but Ortiz is his friend and that’s what friends do.