Jake Paul seems to be using feuds with some of the UFC’s biggest names to grow his brand even more, and his latest verbal spat is with the head honcho of the whole organization.
Paul attended UFC 261 in Jacksonville on Saturday night, and he came face-to-face with former heavyweight and light heavyweight champion Daniel Cormier during the event. Cormier, who was working as a ringside commentator, got in Paul’s face and later said on the air that he told the YouTube star turned boxer that he will “smack him in the face.” You can see the video here.
White was asked about Paul after UFC 261, and he accused Paul and Triller of lying about their PPV buys for Paul’s fight against Ben Askren last weekend. He also said Paul could never fight in the UFC.
“The numbers are there? Nah. I don’t know if the numbers are there,” White said. “Do you know what would happen to this guy [in the UFC]? He ain’t fighting in the UFC. He’s getting hand-picked opponents, and God knows what else is going on with that whole f—ing thing.”
Paul fired back on Sunday. He issued a statement ridiculing White for supposedly supporting Askren financially leading up to last week’s fight. Paul also criticized White for not paying UFC fighters more money.
. @danawhite pic.twitter.com/SI48eGkoaO
— Jake Paul (@jakepaul) April 25, 2021
Paul has actually gained the respect of some prominent people within the boxing community. He’s unlikely to ever fight in the UFC, but the publicity he gets from public spats with people like White and Cormier can only help his brand. Whether you believe he’s a good fighter or not, it’s tough to argue against Paul’s marketing prowess.
