41-year-old fighter, who left UFC after losing to Dricus du Plessis, shoots his shot as Jake Paul gears up for MMA debut

A former UFC fighter recently put forward his name as Jake Paul's possible opponent for his anticipated MMA debut this year. The individual called out Paul, claiming he ought to be the one taking on the well-known YouTuber turned boxer in his first MMA outing.

Paul has had success in the boxing ring, with a professional record of 11-1, including seven knockout victories. The 27-year-old will now attempt to emulate his performance inside the cage, as MMA Junkie's recent X post states that Paul is expected to make his MMA debut this year.

The person in question is former UFC fighter Derek Brunson, who reposted MMA Junkie's X post and called out Paul, writing:

''There’s only 1 person that makes sense . Earn your respect in the MMA world @jakepaul''

Brunson was a prominent contender in the UFC's middleweight division. 'The One' ended up with 14 victories and seven defeats in the octagon after making a triumphant promotional debut against Chris Leben at UFC 155 in Dec. 2012.

Additionally, he had two winning runs of five fights, which nearly won him a crack at UFC gold. The 41-year-old competed against elite opponents including Lyoto Machida, Anderson Silva, Robert Whittaker, and Israel Adesanya during his tenure with the UFC.

After 21 appearances in the UFC, Brunson was released from the promotion in 2023. His last octagon appearance came against reigning champion Dricus du Plessis at UFC 285 where he suffered from a second-round knockout defeat.

In his last MMA outing at the 2023 PFL World Championship, the American secured a unanimous decision victory against Ray Cooper III.

As for Paul, he took on Mike Tyson in a boxing match in his recent combat sports appearance and defeated him via unanimous decision last year.

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When PFL's CEO Peter Murray claimed Jake Paul's MMA debut would be against a formidable opponent

In an interview with Sportskeeda MMA last year, PFL CEO Peter Murray expressed his thoughts on Jake Paul's MMA debut. 'The Problem Child' signed with the promotion in 2023.

Murray stated that Paul has numerous opponents in mind and expects to face a recognized fighter in 2025:

''[There's] plenty of options...And Jake [Paul] is committed to fighting a very very credible, well-rounded MMA fighter and not easy to do. Not easy to cross over from boxing into MMA. You know, the crossover from MMA or other disciplines into boxing is a lot easier.''

Check out Peter Murray's comments below (10:14):