Jake Paul explained why he’s fighting Tyron Woodley a second time.
Editor’s note: This article was originally published at MMAJunkie.com.
Jake Paul already defeated Tyron Woodley once, so what’s in it for him the second time around?
Sure, there’s money. And Woodley needed an opponent on short notice after the withdrawal of Tommy Fury, so who knows what other options were even out there. But there’s more to the story.
Though it may seem like a sidestep to some, Paul told MMA Junkie on Monday he doesn’t think Woodley will be the only one who can increase their stock with a win on Dec. 18.
“For me, the biggest thing to gain is proving people wrong from last time that thought he won, which is hilarious – including the judge who made it a split decision,” Paul said during a virtual news conference. ” Clearly, he was at some different fight. But now, I’m just going to back that up and go and knock this guy out. It just goes to show when I say, ‘Anyone, anytime, anyplace,’ I mean it. And most fighters aren’t like that.
“And for me to take whoever, wherever, whenever, this early on in my career, doing eight-round fights in my fifth fight, it’s unheard of.”
It’s been a major talking point for him throughout his professional boxing tenure, but Paul reaffirmed he wants to prove to viewers he’s entered the world of combat sports to win – not just for a cash grab.
“People just need to realize how serious I take this and how a lot of these other professional fighters don’t train as hard as me,” Paul said. “They’re not as prepared as me. And like, Tommy Fury, he pulled out of the fight because of some silly, little thing. I’ve fought with a broken nose. I’ve fought sick. The list goes on.
“Last fight, against Tyron, I had a hyperextended elbow. I didn’t say anything. Why? Because it doesn’t matter. I’m still going to go in there and find a way to win. That’s my motivation, is win.”
Jake Paul vs. Tyron Woodley 2 takes place Dec. 18 at Amalie Arena in Tampa, Fla., and airs on Showtime.
Jake Paul explained why he’s fighting Tyron Woodley a second time.
Editor’s note: This article was originally published at MMAJunkie.com.
Jake Paul already defeated Tyron Woodley once, so what’s in it for him the second time around?
Sure, there’s money. And Woodley needed an opponent on short notice after the withdrawal of Tommy Fury, so who knows what other options were even out there. But there’s more to the story.
Though it may seem like a sidestep to some, Paul told MMA Junkie on Monday he doesn’t think Woodley will be the only one who can increase their stock with a win on Dec. 18.
“For me, the biggest thing to gain is proving people wrong from last time that thought he won, which is hilarious – including the judge who made it a split decision,” Paul said during a virtual news conference. ” Clearly, he was at some different fight. But now, I’m just going to back that up and go and knock this guy out. It just goes to show when I say, ‘Anyone, anytime, anyplace,’ I mean it. And most fighters aren’t like that.
“And for me to take whoever, wherever, whenever, this early on in my career, doing eight-round fights in my fifth fight, it’s unheard of.”
It’s been a major talking point for him throughout his professional boxing tenure, but Paul reaffirmed he wants to prove to viewers he’s entered the world of combat sports to win – not just for a cash grab.
“People just need to realize how serious I take this and how a lot of these other professional fighters don’t train as hard as me,” Paul said. “They’re not as prepared as me. And like, Tommy Fury, he pulled out of the fight because of some silly, little thing. I’ve fought with a broken nose. I’ve fought sick. The list goes on.
“Last fight, against Tyron, I had a hyperextended elbow. I didn’t say anything. Why? Because it doesn’t matter. I’m still going to go in there and find a way to win. That’s my motivation, is win.”
Jake Paul vs. Tyron Woodley 2 takes place Dec. 18 at Amalie Arena in Tampa, Fla., and airs on Showtime.
Jake Paul will face Tyron Woodley in rematch after Tommy Fury pulled out of their Dec. 18 fight.
Tyron Woodley will get a second shot at Jake Paul on Dec. 18 after Tommy Fury pulled out as Paul’s opponent because of a medical issue, according to a news release.
Woodley withdrew because of a “medical issue that impacted his training camp,” according to the release.
Paul (4-0, 3 KOs) defeated Woodley, a former MMA star making his boxing debut, by a split decision in a closely contested eight-round cruiserweight fight on Aug. 29.
“When my team woke up on Friday to tell me Tommy was pulling out, I told them I’m ready to fight any on December 18,” Paul said. “Troy, Trey, Trevor, Travis. I don’t give a damn who it is. So, as I predicted, Tommy fumbles and Tyron is there to pick it up, stepping in.
“And contractually he is getting an extra $500,000 if he knocks me out. First time I outboxed him. This time I’m gonna punish him and leave no doubt.”
The Paul-Woodley rematch will take place in Tampa, Florida, and will be available on pay-per-view.
Jake Paul will face Tyron Woodley in rematch after Tommy Fury pulled out of their Dec. 18 fight.
Tyron Woodley will get a second shot at Jake Paul on Dec. 18 after Tommy Fury pulled out as Paul’s opponent because of a medical issue, according to a news release.
Woodley withdrew because of a “medical issue that impacted his training camp,” according to the release.
Paul (4-0, 3 KOs) defeated Woodley, a former MMA star making his boxing debut, by a split decision in a closely contested eight-round cruiserweight fight on Aug. 29.
“When my team woke up on Friday to tell me Tommy was pulling out, I told them I’m ready to fight any on December 18,” Paul said. “Troy, Trey, Trevor, Travis. I don’t give a damn who it is. So, as I predicted, Tommy fumbles and Tyron is there to pick it up, stepping in.
“And contractually he is getting an extra $500,000 if he knocks me out. First time I outboxed him. This time I’m gonna punish him and leave no doubt.”
The Paul-Woodley rematch will take place in Tampa, Florida, and will be available on pay-per-view.
So that’s it. Party’s over just like that after four fights against non-boxers? If so, Paul just made so many of his haters begging for him to go away very happy. But the thing is, this looks all too familiar to us.
Back in April 2016, Conor McGregor pulled this same move. Remember? “I have decided to retire young. Thanks for the cheese, Catch ya’s later,” he tweeted without explanation. That, of course, turned out to be not true, and he had an epic rematch with Nate Diaz four months later, which McGregor won.
McGregor “decided to retire from fighting” in June 2020, as well – or so he tweeted. But again, not true, and he was back in the cage seven months later getting knocked out by Dustin Poirier at UFC 257.
The point of those McGregor retirement tweets was to cause a stir and build intrigue around his name even further. We’re willing to bet that’s what Jake Paul is doing here, too.
But hey, if we’re wrong, it was fun while it lasted. Rejoice, haters!
So that’s it. Party’s over just like that after four fights against non-boxers? If so, Paul just made so many of his haters begging for him to go away very happy. But the thing is, this looks all too familiar to us.
Back in April 2016, Conor McGregor pulled this same move. Remember? “I have decided to retire young. Thanks for the cheese, Catch ya’s later,” he tweeted without explanation. That, of course, turned out to be not true, and he had an epic rematch with Nate Diaz four months later, which McGregor won.
McGregor “decided to retire from fighting” in June 2020, as well – or so he tweeted. But again, not true, and he was back in the cage seven months later getting knocked out by Dustin Poirier at UFC 257.
The point of those McGregor retirement tweets was to cause a stir and build intrigue around his name even further. We’re willing to bet that’s what Jake Paul is doing here, too.
But hey, if we’re wrong, it was fun while it lasted. Rejoice, haters!
Jake Paul responded to a Conor McGregor tweet by saying that McGregor is as an easier fight than Tyron Woodley.
Editor’s note: This article was originally published on MMAJunkie.com.
***
CLEVELAND – Jake Paul doesn’t see Conor McGregor as a step up in competition when sizing up his potential future opponents.
The YouTube star believes he faced a tougher challenge than the Irishman in his win over former UFC welterweight champion Tyron Woodley at Sunday’s Showtime boxing pay-per-view event in Cleveland. Paul defeated Woodley in a split-decision, which was contested at cruiserweight over eight, three-minute rounds.
The Paul vs. Woodley boxing event took place at the Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse. The card streamed live on pay-per-view at 7 p.m. ET on Showtime Sports.
“We’re on the path to a lot bigger fights, I’m salivating too because I’m just getting warmed up,” Paul told reporters at the post-fight press conference. “Conor McGregor has a lot more to focus on besides me right now.
“I’m five wins in a row, he’s 1-3 in the past four years. So the guy needs to get off his vodka or whatever his brand is, sober up and start to get back in the gym and then we can f*cking fight.
“To be honest, no way he hits harder than Woodley. He doesn’t weigh as much as Woodley. He’s shorter than Woodley. I’ve said it before the fight, I think Woodley is a harder fight than him, especially the way he’s going. Conor is going down, I’m going up. Woodley came in game, we’ll see.”
Paul entered the Woodley bout coming off a first-round knockout win over Woodley’s teammate and former ONE Championship and Bellator champion Ben Askren back in April. The Youtube star remains undefeated in his professional boxing career. He now has a record of 4-0. Woodley is the second UFC fighter Paul defeats in boxing.
Jake Paul responded to a Conor McGregor tweet by saying that McGregor is as an easier fight than Tyron Woodley.
Editor’s note: This article was originally published on MMAJunkie.com.
***
CLEVELAND – Jake Paul doesn’t see Conor McGregor as a step up in competition when sizing up his potential future opponents.
The YouTube star believes he faced a tougher challenge than the Irishman in his win over former UFC welterweight champion Tyron Woodley at Sunday’s Showtime boxing pay-per-view event in Cleveland. Paul defeated Woodley in a split-decision, which was contested at cruiserweight over eight, three-minute rounds.
The Paul vs. Woodley boxing event took place at the Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse. The card streamed live on pay-per-view at 7 p.m. ET on Showtime Sports.
“We’re on the path to a lot bigger fights, I’m salivating too because I’m just getting warmed up,” Paul told reporters at the post-fight press conference. “Conor McGregor has a lot more to focus on besides me right now.
“I’m five wins in a row, he’s 1-3 in the past four years. So the guy needs to get off his vodka or whatever his brand is, sober up and start to get back in the gym and then we can f*cking fight.
“To be honest, no way he hits harder than Woodley. He doesn’t weigh as much as Woodley. He’s shorter than Woodley. I’ve said it before the fight, I think Woodley is a harder fight than him, especially the way he’s going. Conor is going down, I’m going up. Woodley came in game, we’ll see.”
Paul entered the Woodley bout coming off a first-round knockout win over Woodley’s teammate and former ONE Championship and Bellator champion Ben Askren back in April. The Youtube star remains undefeated in his professional boxing career. He now has a record of 4-0. Woodley is the second UFC fighter Paul defeats in boxing.
Amanda Serrano (left) dominated Yamileth Mercado from beginning to end Sunday night. Jason Miller / Getty Images
One good thing that emerged from the Jake Paul-Tyron Woodley card was the exposure Amanda Serrano received.
With due respect for Claressa Shields and Katie Taylor, it seems to me that Serrano, a seven-division titleholder, is arguably the best female fighter in the world. She demonstrated why on Sunday, dominating Yamileth Mercado to win a wide unanimous decision and retain her featherweight titles.
Shields (11-0, 2 KOs) obviously is a fine boxer and a fantastic ambassador for women’s boxing but the talent pool for fighters her size is shallow and she doesn’t have much power. Taylor (18-0, 6 KOs) is another excellent technician with limited firepower.
Serrano (41-1-1, 30 KOs) is also a polished boxer and her knockout percentage is nothing short of remarkable given the two-minute rounds with which women’s boxing is saddled. She can crack.
The Brooklyn native wasn’t able to take out Mercado (18-3, 5 KOs) but that was the result of the Mexican’s impressive skill set and toughness, although she was worn down, battered and cut by the end of the fight.
Serrano clearly was the star of the show on Sunday, in terms of both her performance and the entertainment value of her fight.
There is talk of a fight between Serrano and Taylor, a lightweight titleholder. That would be a difficult task for Serrano – who would jump two weight classes if they were to fight at 135 pounds — because she seems to be a natural 126-pounder but she has the ability to hold her own. And Serrano has experience at heavier weights. She actually held a lightweight title in 2014.
I hope that fight happens. If Serrano is as good as I think she is, she’ll find a way to win that fight and convince more people that she – not her more-publicized rivals – is the best in the business.
***
BAD
Jake Paul (left) and Tyron Woodley did a lot of posing. Jason Miller / Getty Images
Those who forked over $59.99 to watch the Paul-Woodley fight and now have buyer’s remorse should ask themselves something: What did you expect?
Paul, who won a split decision, had three fights going into Sunday night. The YouTuber is a good, strong athlete but he’s in the early stages of his development, as we saw against Woodley. His knockouts in Fights 1-3 drew attention away from the fact he has rudimentary skills. And Woodley, making his boxing debut, is a 39-year-old former UFC champ who was never much of a striker in his MMA heyday.
So it should’ve been no surprise that Paul and Woodley looked like rank amateurs. That’s what they are.
As someone close to me said afterward, “It’s like going to a lousy restaurant and expecting great food.”
The only thing that could’ve saved this fight was a spectacular knockout or a wild brawl, which those watching presumably expected. Many of them wanted to see the brash Paul get his fourth stoppage in four fights or get knocked out himself.
It didn’t happen, which is part of boxing. Both fighters landed some hard shots but none that hurt the other significantly. And they fought cautiously, which precluded the possibility of an entertaining war.
Thus, we were left with a dud.
I don’t blame either guy. Paul fought an intelligent fight and won a decision, which he deserved. He outworked Woodley, who had his moments but didn’t let his hands go enough to complain about the decision.
And from a business standpoint, they are both geniuses. They will have walked away from the fight with seven-figure paydays when all is said and done, which is the result of that $59.99 you sacrificed.
Maybe next time you’ll have a better idea of what you’re getting for your hard-earned cash.
***
WORSE
An 18-year-old Mexican boxer named Jeannette Zapata is in critical condition after she was knocked out in four rounds by Marie-Pier Houle on Saturday in Montreal.
Zapata, from Aguascalientes, went into convulsions after the fight was stopped and she was rushed to a hospital, where she was placed in induced coma and remained in an intensive care unit on Monday.
Zapata (2-4, 0 KOs) was stopped in six rounds in May but reportedly underwent a screening – including a brain scan – before the fight on Saturday. And it’s difficult to criticize the matchup because Houle (4-0-1, 2 KOs) also is developing fighter.
We can only hope that all precautions were taken before Zapata stepped into the ring, which seems to be the case.
“Accidents like Zacarias’s are very, very rare, and we want to make sure to find ways so it doesn’t happen again,” Michel told CBC.ca on Monday morning.
Meanwhile, Houle expressed her concern on Facebook.
“Never, ever, is the intention of seriously injuring an opponent in my plans.” she wrote. “My sincere thoughts go to my opponent, Jeannette Zacarias Zapata, as well as to her family. I wish with all my heart that she will recover.”
Amanda Serrano (left) dominated Yamileth Mercado from beginning to end Sunday night. Jason Miller / Getty Images
One good thing that emerged from the Jake Paul-Tyron Woodley card was the exposure Amanda Serrano received.
With due respect for Claressa Shields and Katie Taylor, it seems to me that Serrano, a seven-division titleholder, is arguably the best female fighter in the world. She demonstrated why on Sunday, dominating Yamileth Mercado to win a wide unanimous decision and retain her featherweight titles.
Shields (11-0, 2 KOs) obviously is a fine boxer and a fantastic ambassador for women’s boxing but the talent pool for fighters her size is shallow and she doesn’t have much power. Taylor (18-0, 6 KOs) is another excellent technician with limited firepower.
Serrano (41-1-1, 30 KOs) is also a polished boxer and her knockout percentage is nothing short of remarkable given the two-minute rounds with which women’s boxing is saddled. She can crack.
The Brooklyn native wasn’t able to take out Mercado (18-3, 5 KOs) but that was the result of the Mexican’s impressive skill set and toughness, although she was worn down, battered and cut by the end of the fight.
Serrano clearly was the star of the show on Sunday, in terms of both her performance and the entertainment value of her fight.
There is talk of a fight between Serrano and Taylor, a lightweight titleholder. That would be a difficult task for Serrano – who would jump two weight classes if they were to fight at 135 pounds — because she seems to be a natural 126-pounder but she has the ability to hold her own. And Serrano has experience at heavier weights. She actually held a lightweight title in 2014.
I hope that fight happens. If Serrano is as good as I think she is, she’ll find a way to win that fight and convince more people that she – not her more-publicized rivals – is the best in the business.
***
BAD
Jake Paul (left) and Tyron Woodley did a lot of posing. Jason Miller / Getty Images
Those who forked over $59.99 to watch the Paul-Woodley fight and now have buyer’s remorse should ask themselves something: What did you expect?
Paul, who won a split decision, had three fights going into Sunday night. The YouTuber is a good, strong athlete but he’s in the early stages of his development, as we saw against Woodley. His knockouts in Fights 1-3 drew attention away from the fact he has rudimentary skills. And Woodley, making his boxing debut, is a 39-year-old former UFC champ who was never much of a striker in his MMA heyday.
So it should’ve been no surprise that Paul and Woodley looked like rank amateurs. That’s what they are.
As someone close to me said afterward, “It’s like going to a lousy restaurant and expecting great food.”
The only thing that could’ve saved this fight was a spectacular knockout or a wild brawl, which those watching presumably expected. Many of them wanted to see the brash Paul get his fourth stoppage in four fights or get knocked out himself.
It didn’t happen, which is part of boxing. Both fighters landed some hard shots but none that hurt the other significantly. And they fought cautiously, which precluded the possibility of an entertaining war.
Thus, we were left with a dud.
I don’t blame either guy. Paul fought an intelligent fight and won a decision, which he deserved. He outworked Woodley, who had his moments but didn’t let his hands go enough to complain about the decision.
And from a business standpoint, they are both geniuses. They will have walked away from the fight with seven-figure paydays when all is said and done, which is the result of that $59.99 you sacrificed.
Maybe next time you’ll have a better idea of what you’re getting for your hard-earned cash.
***
WORSE
An 18-year-old Mexican boxer named Jeannette Zapata is in critical condition after she was knocked out in four rounds by Marie-Pier Houle on Saturday in Montreal.
Zapata, from Aguascalientes, went into convulsions after the fight was stopped and she was rushed to a hospital, where she was placed in induced coma and remained in an intensive care unit on Monday.
Zapata (2-4, 0 KOs) was stopped in six rounds in May but reportedly underwent a screening – including a brain scan – before the fight on Saturday. And it’s difficult to criticize the matchup because Houle (4-0-1, 2 KOs) also is developing fighter.
We can only hope that all precautions were taken before Zapata stepped into the ring, which seems to be the case.
“Accidents like Zacarias’s are very, very rare, and we want to make sure to find ways so it doesn’t happen again,” Michel told CBC.ca on Monday morning.
Meanwhile, Houle expressed her concern on Facebook.
“Never, ever, is the intention of seriously injuring an opponent in my plans.” she wrote. “My sincere thoughts go to my opponent, Jeannette Zacarias Zapata, as well as to her family. I wish with all my heart that she will recover.”
