>
When it comes to self-promotion in combat sports, Jake Paul has become a master at sparking fan interest.
Having started out as a YouTuber, the 26-year-old has become a PPV boxing star within three years of his pro debut, and is set to have the biggest fight of his career against Tommy Fury on Sunday night.
It’s been a remarkable rise for the 26-year-old, and it’s all come down to one thing: his use of social media.
Since stepping into the ring with fellow YouTuber AnEson Gib in January 2020, Paul has made a habit of bringing up some of the biggest names in boxing and MMA.
Whether he’s really wanted to fight any of them is up for debate, but he’s certainly caught their eye.
Jake Paul has become the master at getting under the skin of fighters on social media.
And some of them couldn’t resist biting, which is exactly what Paul wants.
sports mail check out the high-profile calls from Paul that have made him one of boxing’s most controversial figures.
Cormier confronts Paul after making fun of the ‘fat kid’
Daniel Cormier is a former UFC two-weight champion and is considered by many to be one of the best to step foot in the Octagon. But Paul doesn’t care about reputation.
The feud between the pair began when Cormier punched Paul after he and his friend J’Leon Love had a heated exchange with Tyron Woodley backstage after beating Ben Askren in April 2021.
‘I mean, the way this guy talked to T-Wood gives me goosebumps. All these kids are going to get a lesson, I swear. And I can’t wait, @JLeonLove you can’t fight. Better respect guys like @TWooodley before he gets his hands on you. He’s not Ben! Cormier tweeted.
It didn’t take long for Paul to respond as he responded, ‘Okay, fat man. So me vs you and J vs T?
Former UFC champion Daniel Cormier confronted Jake Paul after he called him a “fat kid”
The following week, Paul attended UFC 261 and Cormier, who was commentating the event, decided to confront his fellow American in person.
The two men came face to face, with Cormier pointing at Paul’s face as he angrily made his point.
When asked to reveal what he had told Paul, Cormier said, “I pointed at it and said, ‘Don’t play games with me.'” Because I’ll slap that shit out of him. I don’t play those games.
The crowd in Jacksonville, Florida made it clear which side they were chanting ‘f*** Jake’ on, but unsurprisingly, Paul relished his moment in the spotlight and played up his villain image by sticking out his middle finger. . to the fans.
Paul sends a chilling warning to Bisping
After beating Tyron Woodley for the second time in December 2021, Paul was having a hard time finding his next opponent, so he posted a hit list of fighters he was willing to face. Former UFC Middleweight Champion Michael Bisping appeared in it.
Bisping has never been one to shut up, and he quickly responded by stating that Paul wouldn’t really want to fight him since he has no obvious physical advantages.
‘Come on Jake Paul, do you know I’m about your size? Are you sure that excludes me from your blacklist? Bisping tweeted.
Paul retorted: ‘I’d knock you out worse than Hendo. You’re an easy fight but show me you can get a license and I’ll show you $1M plus PPV…’
Paul was referring to Dan Henderson’s brutal knockout of Bisping in 2009 when he landed a massive right hand that sent the Brit to the canvas and unable to defend himself.
He also seemed to be doing some digging on Bisping’s eligibility to fight, as the popular Englishman now has a glass eye after taking a kick to the face that detached his retina in his clash with Vitor Belfort in 2013.
Paul insults McGregor and his fiancée
Paul insults McGregor and Paul’s first two professional wins were against YouTuber Gib and former basketball player Nate Robinson.
However, he has never suffered from a lack of confidence and raised his profile tenfold by calling out UFC star Conor McGregor.
While smoking a cigar and draped in the Irish flag, Paul posted a video online in which he called McGregor a ‘fucking Irishman’ and insulted his fiancée Dee Devlin insisting the lefty ‘could do so much better’.
He proceeded to claim that he had sent McGregor an offer of $50 million to fight him, but accused his rival of ‘dodging’ him due to being afraid of losing to a YouTuber.
McGregor took his time responding, but has since called Paul “a failure” and “a nobody.”
Paul has continued to taunt McGregor over the years, and is convinced he would knock the Irishman out with his ‘right hand of God’.
The pair have yet to work out their differences in the ring, but Paul has continued to build his following by launching regular attacks on one of MMA’s biggest stars.
WARNING: The following video contains explicit language.
Jake Paul called out Conor McGregor and insulted his fiancée Dee Devlin
Paul sets his sights on White
In the same video in which he called out McGregor, Paul also made his feelings about UFC president Dana White clear, calling him a “fucking p***.”
The feud between Paul and White would only build from there, with Paul very happy to brag about beating UFC fighters while besting Askren, Woodley, and Anderson Silva.
Meanwhile, Paul also criticized White on the issue of fighter pay and medical care in the UFC, accusing him of using cocaine.
White responded by claiming that Paul uses steroids and downplayed his idea on how to improve boxers’ pay.
Posting a video online, White said: ‘You publicly stated that I use cocaine; I don’t. so i told you [that] You could randomly test me for cocaine for the next 10 years. I think you’re a cheater and I think you’re on steroids so I want to give you a random steroid test for the next two years.
‘And so [UFC contract proposal] that you came out today, no one on Earth thinks that you actually wrote that. You are too stupid.
Paul has divided opinion with his criticism of White, but once again he got the people talking and made sure more fans tuned in to watch his next fight, whether it was to see him win or get knocked out.
Froch reacts to Paul’s taunts
Paul has often been the instigator of his feuds with various wrestlers, but that hasn’t always been the case.
Ahead of Paul’s upcoming fight with Tommy Fury, four-time world super middleweight champion Carl Froch was asked for his opinion, labeling Paul a “clown” and stating that a potential fight between the pair would be a “mismatch.” “.
Paul did not take Froch’s comments very well, responding: ‘Carl Froch is angry that I made more in one year than he did in his entire career.
You want payday. I understand.
‘So let’s do this, let’s fight Anderson Silva on my next card and if you’re lucky and you beat him, then we can get in the ring and make your career payday. Let me know.’
Telling a former world champion to fight on his card was a bold move by Paul, and one that rankled Froch, who opted to post a threatening video of the American.
Carl Froch sent Jake Paul a video message threatening to put him into “fucking orbit”
‘I will not fight mixed martial arts legend Anderson Silva on your card. I have too much respect for him. And your punch when you hit it, did that even land? Very doubtful,’ Froch said.
You have a job to do against Tommy Fury. If by some miracle you manage to beat Tommy Fury, then I’ll listen to you.
‘But until then, don’t talk about me in the same league as you. I am four times world champion. Two WBC titles there. You will never, ever have one of them. You are not good enough. You are not a professional wrestler. You are an acting clown. That is all you are.
So keep my name out of your mouth until you’ve done something in the game. I think this weekend your world ends.
“But if it’s not, and you’re stupid enough to fight me, when this right hand lands on your chin, it’ll send you into orbit and knock that stupid barnet off your head.” head.’
Paul and Fury’s face-to-face altercation
Paul’s fight with Fury has been years in the making. In fact, it was scheduled twice only to be canceled both times after Fury dropped out.
After much back and forth online, the pair finally came face to face in a backstage corridor after Paul’s split decision victory over Woodley in August 2021.
Both men knew the cameras were rolling and seemed to enjoy every second of it.
‘You have to stop running, my friend, and let’s start!’ Fury told Paul.
Jake Paul and Tommy Fury will finally meet in the ring in Saudi Arabia on Sunday
“You can barely be my sparring partner for four rounds,” Paul replied.
‘Take the fight!’ Fury responded as security dragged him away.
Long-term rivals now have their wish as they prepare to finally settle the score in Saudi Arabia on Sunday.
Both are set for the highest paydays of their careers, and Paul owes a lot to his social media presence to land him in this position.