Jake Paul and the UFC have been at odds for years, and his most recent action against the MMA organization may be significant.
Paul, 28, began his career as a Disney star and YouTuber before rising to prominence as one of the biggest boxing stars. Although his fame may never translate into a real world title, he just defeated the great Mike Tyson via decision and will try to advance farther on June 28 against Julio Cesar Chavez Jr.
Naturally, June 28 is already anticipated to be a significant combat sports event. On the same night, UFC 317 will take place, featuring a major lightweight title bout between Ilia Topuria and Charles Oliveira as the main event.
On paper, the Paul vs. Chavez event is not nearly as tempting as the UFC’s offering, as most fight fans will concur. However, Paul, who is the promoter of his own fight, has made sure fans have a more inexpensive choice because UFC shows have gotten very pricey in recent years.
The price of UFC 317 is $79.99. At $59.99, his bout with Chavez will be $20 less expensive.
Some fans might think this is a coincidence, but keep in mind that Paul has been one of the most outspoken opponents of the UFC in recent years. He has a lot more to say than that, but his main complaint has been that the MMA promotion pays its fighters very little.
What is Jake Paul’s grievance with the UFC?
“MMA is not what it was. That’s the truth of the matter,” Paul told All The Smoke. “Boxing is bigger than ever. The biggest sporting event of the year, in 2024, was boxing, whereas MMA is becoming a sh*ttier version of boxing, essentially.
“It’s kickboxing, because everyone is getting good takedown defense and everyone’s a black belt in jiu-jitsu,” Paul added. “So there’s no more submissions, really, there’s not a lot of takedowns, and even if there is it’s f*cking boring. But everyone is good at takedown defense. So, it’s literally kickboxing.
“Guess who the biggest star of the sport is in MMA? Alex Pereira, who is a kickboxer. Because he’s knocking everyone out, blah, blah, blah. And he’s the best one because no one can take him down, no one can submit him, so he’s just knocking everyone out.
“The UFC has less significant strikes, per round, and that’s with five-minute rounds. So boxing is going to stand the test of time because it has. It’s been (around) since the 1500s. So, 500, 600 years of boxing. I don’t think MMA — I’m not long on MMA because it’s becoming boxing.”
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