Getty Jake Paul celebrates after defeating Ben Askren in their cruiserweight bout during Triller Fight Club at Mercedes-Benz Stadium on April 17, 2021 in Atlanta, Georgia.
YouTuber and boxer Jake Paul has gained the attention of several UFC stars, including a fighter competing this weekend.
During the main card of UFC 261 on Saturday night, No. 9 ranked middleweight Uriah Hall will meet former UFC 185-pound king Chris Weidman in a rematch. The two fought during the infancy of their professional MMA careers, back in 2010, with Weidman winning via first-round TKO.
GettyUriah Hall punches Anderson Silva in a middleweight bout during the UFC Fight Night event at UFC APEX on October 31, 2020 in Las Vegas, Nevada.
Hall has been a staple of the middleweight division since bursting onto the scene during The Ultimate Fighter in 2013.
And the impressive striker has a strong opinion on how a boxing match would go between himself and “The Problem Child.”
Paul is 3-0 as a boxer, as well as one amateur win, and is coming off a first-round TKO victory over former ONE and Bellator welterweight champion Ben Askren last weekend. According to Paul, the PPV generated 1.5 million buys, an impressive feat.
“I say I’m going to knock you the f*** out and thank you for the opportunity,” Hall said during UFC 261 media day via MMA Fighting. “Cause we all know I would kill him. I would tell you bro, I will literally beat you with one hand. You don’t deserve my right hand. I’ll do it for free. That’s how confident I am.”
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Hall Said Paul ‘Sucks’ But Is a ‘Genius’
GettyJake Paul & Uriah Hall
Paul has amassed a professional boxing record of 3-0, defeating YouTuber AnEsonGib, NBA point guard Nate Robinson and Askren. During the media day, Hall gave his thoughts on Paul’s emergence into combat sports and the big business that has come with it, comparing it to the payday of some other fighters.
“Here’s what I really think — at the end of the day it’s a great business move but it’s just a disappointment, too,” Hall said during the presser. “You know some people are selling out, I get it. I remember watching that or even hearing about it going I’m working my a** off, literally dying — this motherf***** comes out there, says a couple [things] and I know what he’s doing. Let’s be honest, the guy sucks. He sucks. He really sucks and look who he’s picking. So I get it.
“From a business standpoint, a YouTube person is going out there and people are feeding off that. You have people that hate him and you have people that love him, you’ve still got to watch him. It’s genius but at the same time it humiliates what I call real athletes that really put in the time. I know guys behind me not even making that much. I know guys out there that aren’t making as much as the ring card girls.”
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Hall Will Look to Extend His Win Streak to Four & Avenge His Loss to Weidman
Hall is on the longest win streak of his MMA career since 2015. He has won his last three bouts in a row, knocking out Bevon Lewis in 2018, defeating Antonio Carlos Junior by split decision in 2019 and finishing Anderson Silva via TKO in October.
By defeating Weidman on Saturday night, Hall will further cement himself in the top 10 of middleweight and will likely earn a shot at a higher-ranked opponent.
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UFC Star on Fighting Jake Paul: ‘I Would Kill Him’