YouTuber turned boxer Jake Paul (3-0, 3 KOs) has his next fight confirmed against UFC star Tyron Woodley (19–7–1 MMA), but his opponent was originally targeted to be Michael Bisping (30-9 MMA), the retired mixed martial artist who was offered a whopping $500K for the fight.
After much speculation, rumors and discussions, Tyron Woodley was finally confirmed to be the fourth combat sports icon Jake would be facing in his nascent pro boxing career. As usual, “The Problem Child” landed another boxing match against a non-boxer, coming off of a knockout win against multi promotion MMA champion Ben Askren.
Woodley, a former UFC welterweight champion who held the title across two years, had always been vocal about stepping inside the squared circle against Jake, and last month, called him a “culture vulture” and insisted that he is ready to square off against the YouTuber anyday.
In the meantime, Michael Bisping dropped the bombshell that the offer to fight Jake Paul was originally presented to him, along with a mouth watering fight purse of $500. However, the former UFC icon passed on the bout.
Tyron Woodley is another non-boxer that Jake Paul will don the gloves against. The 24-year-old social media star has fought his fellow YouTuber AnEsonGib, former NBA star Nate Robinson and lastly, Askren in the ring, and has maintained a 3-0 record so far with all three of the victories coming from KOs.
Tyron Woodley is a proper fighter. It’s not a walk in the park: Michael Bisping warns Jake Paul
Woodley, on the other hand, will be making his boxing debut against Jake on 28th August in an undetermined location. The former welterweight titleholder is having a rough time in the Octagon at present, having suffered losses in all of his last four fights against Kamaru Usman (at UFC 235), Gilbert Burns (at UFC Vegas), Colby Covington (at UFC Vegas 11) and in his last UFC appearance against Vicente Luque (at UFC 260).
Speaking on his podcast “Believe You Me” this Sunday, Bisping expressed that he was glad for Woodley to pick up the fight against Jake, and estimated that his former colleague might land double the fight purse he was offered for the fight.
“I’m happy for him,” said Bisping, “I don’t know what [Woodley is] going to get paid, but I’ll tell you right now. I was offered $500,000 to fight Jake Paul, so I would assume it’s probably more since the fight’s happening. So good for him. He might go out there and might be getting $1 million, and I couldn’t be happier for Tyron, because he really deserves it.”
“Fair play to Jake Paul as well. You can’t blame the f—– guy. He’s being an entrepreneur. He’s taking his fan base and parlaying it into a way of making money in the boxing world because he’s got a passion for combat sports. He’s taking on a real fight. Tyon Woodley is a proper fighter. It’s not a walk in the park,” Bisping added. (H/T BoxingScene)
