Boxer Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. is facing deportation after he was arrested by the United States’ Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) on Wednesday, and some are now wondering if Jake Paul knew what was coming.
Paul defeated Chavez by unanimous decision in a 10-round cruiserweight fight on Sunday. The bout was held at the Honda Center in Anaheim, Calif.
Leading up to the match, Paul told a DAZN reporter that he wanted to fight Chavez in Anaheim so he could beat the 39-year-old “in his backyard” and “send him back to Mexico.”
“The reason I came to Anaheim (is because) I wanted him to end his career in his backyard. I’m gonna beat his a– in front of his hometown and send him back to Mexico,” Paul said.
“I’m going to beat his ass and send him back to Mexico.”
— Happy Punch (@HappyPunch) July 3, 2025
This Jake Paul quote did not age well for Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. 😅 pic.twitter.com/oRuJgWEp6b
Paul was likely just talking trash, and most people did not expect Chavez to be taken into custody days after the fight. Though, authorities say that Chavez’s tourist visa expired in Feb. 2024.
Paul shared an emoji of an American flag on X shortly after Chavez was arrested on Wednesday.
🇺🇸
— Jake Paul (@jakepaul) July 3, 2025
Chavez filed an application for lawful permanent resident status in April 2024. This application was based on his marriage to a woman who is a U.S. citizen, and who is connected to the Sinaloa Cartel through a previous relationship with a now-deceased son of cartel leader “El Chapo.”
Chavez, who is from Sinaloa, has gone 54-7-1 (1 no contest) during his boxing career. He was labeled by the U.S. government in December as an “egregious public safety threat.”
Chavez is the son of famous former boxer Julio Cesar Chavez. An attorney for Chavez Jr. issued a strong response to the boxer’s arrest on Wednesday.
