Getty Jake Paul celebrates victory.
Former UFC welterweight champion Tyron Woodley offered to fight Jake Paul next, and the 39-year-old said it could happen inside a boxing ring or inside an MMA cage. Woodley told ESPN’s Ariel Helwani he was down for the fight but didn’t expect Paul to actually offer him the contract. The two stars traded barbs over the weekend in the locker room before Paul’s fight against Ben Askren, and Woodley said that now he’s ready to handle his business with Paul.
“Now, it’s a green light. Now, where is all that talk you were talking? Now, everybody that he’s talking about is opposite of me. Dustin Poirier, Conor McGregor, and Nate Diaz? Nah, fight me! I’m your same weight…you had a lot to say in the locker room,” Woodley said.
Woodley hopes to get the call, but he isn’t expecting it.
“It’s a man fighting man,” Woodley said.
You can watch Woodley talk about fighting Paul below.
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Woodley on Why Paul Didn’t Pick Him Last Time, Won’t This Time
Woodley explained to Helwani why he doesn’t expect to hear from Paul’s team.
“He didn’t pick out me. He didn’t pick out [Jorge] Masvidal. He didn’t pick out Conor [McGregor]. He didn’t pick out people that are known to throw hands…He picked out Ben Askren because he felt like…he’s not quite known for striking…,” Woodley said.
Curiously, McGregor’s name was included in Woodley’s reasoning even though Paul has repeatedly called out the Irish superstar on social media.
Regardless, the point is that Woodley believes Paul’s team is using a brand of matchmaking that won’t actually put their fighter in the ring with a real MMA striker because it allows the YouTuber to say he can beat up a world champion without actually having to take many risks.
Everyone knew heading into the fight over the weekend that Askren had world-class grappling skills but that he’d never been anything close to a solid striker in the sport.
Woodley possesses both sets of skills, so the former champ believes he would easily solve the Paul puzzle inside a boxing ring if he got the same opportunity.
“He wants to fight me? He could fight me,” Woodley said.
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Woodley Only Down for Facing Pro Boxer Love Inside MMA Cage
But Paul isn’t the only person Woodley is targeting after the locker room run-in.
The ex-UFC champ also told ESPN he would be down to face professional boxer J’Leon Love next but with one stipulation. He wants to see Paul’s training partner inside the cage for an MMA fight.
“I want to fight his friend in MMA because I want to elbow his a**. I don’t want no little boxing, the poofy gloves. I want to elbow, I want to f***ing hit his face. I want to almost break his arm and just let him out. So if [Love] wants to fight me, he’s going to have to come see me in the cage,” Woodley said.
That’s probably not going to happen. Love already said he wouldn’t fight Woodley under MMA rules when the two exchanged words in the locker room on Saturday, but Woodley seems anxious to see the former 168-pound contender change his mind.
In case you missed it, you can watch what happened in the locker room below.
In the video, Woodley accused Love of “clout chasing”. The boxer said Woodley might know about MMA, but he didn’t know about boxing.
“You don’t know about these,” Love said holding up a pair of boxing gloves.
Later, the three stars, Woodley, Love, and Paul, argued over making a bet on a potential Woodley vs. Love boxing match.
“Let’s make a bet,” Paul added.
No bet was made, but now Woodley is making a different kind of wager. He’s betting Paul won’t care to face him inside a boxing ring.
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