Jake Paul says UFC champion Ilia Topuria would be no match for him in a boxing ring after a heated back-and-forth on Adin Ross' livestream.
Paul and Topuria argued over fighter pay during the stream and verbally agreed to spar, but Paul later downplayed the idea of a competitive boxing matchup between them, pointing to what he sees as a decisive size advantage.
"We will see. And I have respect for him. But in a boxing match? That's honestly a warmup for me, all jokes aside. If we did MMA, he would probably win," Paul said, drawing a clear line between their chances under different rule sets.
Paul also questioned how serious UFC fighters are when they call him out publicly. "They have to publicly, when they're on the live streams, say, 'I'll do it right now, let's do it!' And then when it goes to happen, it just doesn't come to fruition," he said.
Doubling down on his stance toward Topuria, Paul added, "But you just have to know the truth, that I think these fighters try to boast too much and act like they're better than they are to the world. But let's find out the truth. That's what’s great about the sport. It would be like playing with a little toy. Also, he's like 5'5.' If we were the same weight, he's a good striker. Same height, it would probably be closer. I would still beat him, but he can't even ride roller coasters. The guy is tiny."
Topuria is described as the UFC lightweight champion with a 17-0 MMA and 9-0 UFC record. The article notes that, except for Conor McGregor, UFC fighters normally do not have flexibility to box while under contract.
