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Former UFC middleweight champion Michael Bisping has responded to Jake Paul’s $1 million boxing offer.
The offer came after “The Count” reacted to Paul saying the Englishman was on his “hit list.” Sharing three laughing emojis, Bisping tweeted on April 15: “come on @jakepaul you do know I’m about your size? Surely that excludes me from your ‘hit list.'”
Paul replied to Bisping a little later in the day, challenging him to a boxing match while pointing out the UFC Hall of Famer is blind in one eye, an injury he suffered during his mixed martial arts career.
“I would knock you out worse than Hendo,” Paul tweeted. “You’re an easy fight. But show me you can get licensed and I will show you $1M plus PPV… [eye emoji] (using this emoji because Bisping can’t use it lololololol).”
Bisping Is ‘Happily Retired’ But Is Tempted By the Opportunity
Bisping posted a video on his YouTube channel entitled: “BISPING Responds to Being on JAKE PAUL’S Hit List!” During the nine-minute retort, Bisping said that he’d consider “The Problem Child’s” offer, calling the social media superstar not “a threat.”
“So, do I want to fight Jake Paul?” Bisping said via MMA Fighting. “Listen, here’s the thing, I had a great career. I’m very happy with what I accomplished. I’m happily retired. I’m very, very happily retired. But I do miss the thrill of competition — and I don’t see Jake Paul as necessarily a threat. I retired from fighting because I only had one eye and I didn’t want to risk my other eye. In boxing, bigger gloves, against Jake Paul, I don’t really see him as a threat. So Jake Paul, beating you up sounds like fun.”
In an interview with Heavy’s Stephen McCaugherty last year, Bisping confirmed that Paul’s team had reached out to him with a fight offer in the past. He asked them to “double it” but they never answered back, Bisping said.
Bisping Said He’d ‘Do It,’ But Doesn’t Think he Could Get Licensed
The Count did admit, however, that he likely couldn’t get a boxing license in a regulated jurisdiction because of his eye issues. So, if they were to box, Bisping recommends they do it on an Indian reserve, or in a country that doesn’t have an athletic commission.
“This fight is never gonna happen, but I’ll tell you what, Jake, if you want to throw down, if you want to step in the squared circle with me, I’ll oblige,” Bisping continued. “I’ll do it. It sounds like fun. It gives me a reason to train, to get in shape — give me a few months [to] lose a couple of pounds, and let’s go, baby! No problem.
“The only thing is, I won’t get sanctioned. I doubt one of the athletic commissions would let me right now because I used to lie about my eye, but now the secret’s out. The cat’s out of the bag. But there’s lot’s of places where they will not care, lot’s of places where they don’t give a s***. What about Dubai? Dubai seems to be hosting a lot of fights. Let’s go to Dubai. What about an Indian Reservation? No problem there. Lot’s of countries in Europe, Africa, China — the world is our oyster. There’s not athletic commissions everywhere. I’m pretty sure we could find a place that would allow us to throw down.”
Bisping Challenges Paul’s Team to Send Him a Contract
Even though The Count is skeptical about the feasibility of the fight happening, he wants The Problem Child’s team to send him a contract.
“So yeah, there it is,” Bisping said. “Am I joking? A little bit. Am I serious? Maybe a little bit. If you are serious, if you want to do it, send an email. You’ve done it once before. Tell your manager to send me an email. I don’t want to fight — I don’t. I’m very happily retired, and to be honest this whole thing is beneath me, but it does generate a lot of interest and I think me vs. him would generate a lot of interest. I’m not saying I want to fight Jake Paul, because that would be kind of pathetic. But it just got me thinking.”
Bisping then turned his attention to Tommy Fury, someone he wants to see Paul box instead.
“Jake, good luck with what you’re doing, just call out someone your own size,” Bisping said. “Tommy Fury. That should be the fight. … You’re a young man, you’re in your prime — fight a young man in his prime. If you want to fight a 43-year-old guy with one eye and no knees, hey buddy, let’s go. Send location. Send a contract. Send something, rather than just talking on Teddy Atlas’ podcast.”
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