Valentina Shevchenko has hit back at Jake Paul after the boxer took aim at MMA, the UFC, and some of its biggest stars.
On a podcast, Paul said he believes the UFC is "dying" under CEO Dana White and labeled the fighting styles of Khabib Nurmagomedov and Khamzat Chimaev as "boring." Shevchenko responded on Twitter, directly challenging Paul’s comments and questioning his understanding of the sport.
"UFC dying?!" Shevchenko wrote, before adding, "Hey Jake, you definitely don’t know what you are talking about. Criticizing MMA from a long distance." She then escalated her response by urging him to face elite competition in the cage: "Try to get into an octagon with one of them, they’ll wipe the floor with your pretty face. You will show spectacular, breathtaking fight from down there. Then you can tell us how fun or boring it was."
Paul holds a 12-2 professional boxing record and was recently knocked out by Anthony Joshua. On May 16 in Los Angeles, his Most Valuable Promotions will stage its first MMA event, headlined by Ronda Rousey and Gina Carano. Paul signed with the PFL in 2023 but has not fought for the league, working only on the promotional side.
Shevchenko is in her second reign as UFC flyweight champion and has previously criticized Khabib Nurmagomedov for using the word "weak" when talking about women and fighting.
