Jake Paul Fights

The biggest name in boxing right now outside of Canelo Alvarez is Jake Paul. Despite what Dana White has claimed, Paul has proven that he can draw big crowds during pay-per-views along with his brother Logan Paul.

 Jake Paul just celebrated his 25^th birthday on Monday, and he is rumored to be taking on an even bigger name in his next fight. While Tommy Fury remains an option after they couldn’t meet in December after Fury suffered a bacterial infection, there have been rumors that Paul might take on Conor McGregor, Mike Tyson, or even Canelo Alvarez the next time he steps into the ring. There’s no doubt that any of those three names would lead to big PPV numbers for the next Jake Paul fight.

Jake Paul first stepped into the ring on August 25, 2018. A celebrity boxing match between British YouTubers in February 2018 ended up bringing in a lot of eyeballs and attention, so Jake and Logan Paul looked to take advantage of the opportunity. Logan Paul took on KSI, and the younger brothers of both YouTubers also squared off, so Jake Paul fought Deji Olatunji. While Logan Paul was unable to beat KSI in either of their fights, Jake Paul hammered Olatunji and secured a fifth-round TKO.

It took a while before Jake Paul faced his next opponent. He decided that he was done with amateur boxing though, and he decided to go pro to test his mettle. Paul faced another YouTube star in his first fight though, taking on AnEsonGib in Miami on January 30, 2020. AnEsonGib was respectable with victories over MaxPlays and Jay Swingler in his two previous fights, but Paul had a significant size advantage and used it to knock out his opponent in the first round.

That impressive performance opened more doors for Jake Paul. He was slated to have another big fight in the summer of 2020, but COVID foiled those plans. Instead, Paul faced Nate Robinson as the primary undercard when Mike Tyson took on Roy Jones Jr. over Thanksgiving weekend. Paul was a sizeable favorite by the boxing betting odds, and he dwarfed Robinson in the ring. It quickly became evident that Robinson was outmatched, and Paul was unrelenting in looking for an early finish. Robinson was knocked down a few times before Paul sent his opponent to the canvas for good midway through the second round.

It finally became time for Jake Paul to headline a major fight in April 2021. Paul faced former Bellator and ONE Welterweight Champion Ben Askren, and some observers heralded this as his first real test. Askren was 18-0-1 as a professional MMA fighter before moving to the UFC, where his career quickly got sidetracked by Jorge Masvidal’s knee. Dana White went on record to say that he would bet $1 million that Askren defeated Paul, and a gleeful Paul quickly offered to double that wager. Paul proved he was up to the challenge too by using his reach to end the fight within two minutes.

The war of the words between Paul and the MMA community continued as Paul and White kept taking shots at each other through the media. That led to Paul announcing a fight with former UFC Welterweight Champion Tyron Woodley set for August 29, 2021. For the first time, Paul was an underdog by the Vegas fight odds, as Woodley’s experience in the Octagon was seen as too much to overcome. It was certainly Paul’s toughest test to date, but he won a split decision victory over Woodley.

Jake Paul was supposed to take on Tommy Fury last December. However, Fury had to bow out of the event less than two weeks before it was supposed to take place due to a broken rib and a bacterial infection suffered during training. There weren’t many replacement options, so Paul and his team decided to go with Tyron Woodley once more to fulfill a rematch promise made after the first fight. Paul was given much more respect this time by the boxing betting odds, as he had previously proved that he could go the distance. There was no doubt after this fight was over either, since Paul knocked Woodley out in the sixth round.