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UFC president Dana White threatened legal action against Jake Paul after seeing the brash YouTuber knock out Ben Askren on Saturday’s pay-per-view boxing card on Triller. White revealed to Yahoo’s Kevin Iole that he could be sending legal letters soon to Paul, Triller and other parties if they keep seeking to make deals outside the UFC against UFC fighters under contract.
“Why don’t you go fight a f***** boxer?” White asked.
White was surprised to learn Paul had called out retired UFC double champion Daniel Cormier over the weekend after brutalizing Askren in less than one round. Like Askren, Cormier is retired but still under contract with the UFC.
“Daniel Cormier? Why don’t you go fight a f****** boxer? What the f*** do these guys keep talking to UFC guys for? I might have to send another f****** legal letter to these f***** idiots. Yeah, go talk to a f****** boxer. What are you doing?” White said.
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White Disputed Snoop Dogg’s Claim About Bet
Iole pressed White about Paul’s performance against Askren, but White steered clear of offering any kind of praise about the 3-0 boxer’s fighting ability.
“I don’t even want to say it,” White said. “I don’t even want to say what I think happened in that fight, but I can tell you this. I don’t owe Snoop $2 million dollars. Okay? I never bet.”
White had previously revealed during a podcast interview with Mike Tyson and Zab Judah on “Hotboxin with Mike Tyson” that he would be willing to place a $1 million bet on Askren to beat Paul. Snoop Dogg subsequently asked White to “put his money where his mouth is” in regards to making the bet real, as did Paul and Triller founder Ryan Kavanaugh.
But White cleared the air with Iole about the situation.
“Let me make it clear right here to everybody. I have never made an illegal bet ever. I did not make an illegal bet on Saturday night. I did not bet $2 million with Snoop or anybody,” White said.
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White Confirms Bet Offer, Reveals Why He Declined
White claimed he was offered the chance to make that $1 million bet with Triller. He said he received a message through an MMA coach that the company wanted to turn the bet into a reality, but White said he declined.
“They said they want to bet you $2 million,” White said. “I said, ‘That’s f****** illegal.”
Then, he said why he declined it. White said he didn’t make the bet for two reasons.
“First of all, I’m not going to make an illegal bet,” White said.
Second, White noted he would have gotten much better odds backing the underdog Askren over Paul on the legal betting market in Nevada, so he just would have done that had he wanted to put money on the fight.
However, White confirmed he didn’t place any kind of wager on Paul vs. Askren.
White Called Paul ‘the Right Guy With the Right Schtick at the Right Time’
White was also asked about the style of event Triller used for Paul vs. Askren. He didn’t disparage the company but said he would rather just stay in his lane than offer any ideas about whether that company was on a path toward sustained success.
“It’s not my thing, but it doesn’t mean it’s not other people’s things,” White said.
According to White, boxing has long been in a slow decline for a while now, and White believes Paul just happens to be the right kind of fighter at the right time in the sport.
“And when you look at this whole Jake Paul. … This is the right guy with the right schtick at the right time. This guy is playing this thing perfectly, and boxing is in such a bad place. [Paul] is doing a really good job of sucking in people to buy into these things. Good for him,” White said.
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