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YouTuber Jake Paul is creating all sorts of heat in the combat sports community for wanting to fight UFC superstar Conor McGregor in a boxing match, but now the 2-0 pro-boxer is also tossing barbs back and forth via social media with ex-UFC champ Chris Weidman.
Weidman posted, “As punchable faces go, this might be the most punchable I’ve seen…’.
As punchable faces go, this might be the most punchable I’ve seen…
Paul responded to that criticism by comparing his recent history in the ring against Weidman’s recent losses inside the cage.
chrisPaul posted, “the most punchable face that hasn’t been punched 1 time in 2 fights VS the face that got TKO/KO’D 5 times in your last 7 fights.”
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YouTuber vs. UFC Champ
Paul is 2-0 since turning pro. The 23-year-old American defeated fellow YouTuber Ali Eson Gib via stoppage in one round back in January, then ex-NBA star Nate Robinson via second-round knockout last month.
Of course, Paul’s two wins in boxing came over fighters with combined zero professional fights between them.
Meanwhile, Weidman, 36, is the former UFC middleweight champion who dethroned UFC legend Anderson Silva and defended his belt three times before losing the title to Luke Rockhold back in 2015.
Since that stunning stoppage loss, Weidman has gone 2-4 over his last six fights. His two wins came against Kelvin Gastelum in 2017 and Omari Akhmedov in August 2020.
Sandwiched before and inside those winning performances were losses to Yoel Romero and Gegard Mousasi as well as Ronaldo Souza and Dominick Reyes.
Paul’s Glossy Record vs. Weidman’s Legit One
While Paul was quick to point out Weidman’s recent losses inside the Octagon, the truth of the matter is that Weidman has been competing at the height of the professional ranks as a UFC prizefighter whereas Paul has yet to face any kind of legitimate competition.
Heck, Paul has never even faced a legitimate amateur boxing star, much less a real pro boxer, though the 23-year-old has at least already become an expert at drumming up attention for his wild antics.
Sizing Up Paul vs. Weidman
Paul vs. Weidman isn’t likely to happen, though if the fight ever came to be, Paul and Weidman would be closer in size than the smaller fighters Paul has been calling out.
Weidman made most of his money fighting in the UFC’s 185-pound middleweight division, so he’s much closer in size to the nearly 200-pound Paul than someone like McGregor, who has never weighed more than 170 pounds for a UFC contest.
Regardless, size matters a lot less than most mainstream fans think it does in combat sports, so Paul will need to keep working on his skill set in the gym if he truly hopes to compete with a legit professional fighter someday.
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