Jake Paul and UFC head honcho Dana White have frequently exchanged barbs in the media, with the YouTuber often accusing White of not taking proper care of his fighters.
Recently, ‘The Problem Child’ called out Conor McGregor for a boxing match following his victory over boxing legend Mike Tyson at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas, on Nov.15 via unanimous decision. Paul then took a jab at the UFC boss, claiming that McGregor is his "hostage" and labeling White as a failed boxing promoter. Paul tweeted:
“Dana White has a been boxing promoter his whole career. All these nut riders need to do their research. His TV show failed. Couldn’t sell 4K tickets in Dublin with that useless Irish boxer he’s promoting. And he is not fighters first. He’s Dana first. Builds you up and tears you down. Now Conor McGregor is hostage. Free Conor.”
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Former Bellator fighter Dillon Danis weighed in on the conversation and gave a scathing reply through a now-deleted tweet. He wrote:
"Mike Tyson vs. Beetlejuice would do the same numbers. You don’t sell, kid. Everyone tuned in to watch Tyson, not you. That’s why Showtime dropped you, and your last fight sold 60k PPV buys. STFU."
Reportedly, Showtime dropped Jake Paul due to declining pay-per-view (PPV) sales, which failed to meet expectations after initial successes. Following this, Paul transitioned to promoting his fights by launching Most Valuable Promotions.
Dana White Reflects on Mike Tyson vs. Jake Paul Fight and Admits He Was Wrong
Jake Paul vs. Mike Tyson broke all previous viewership records on the OTT giant Netflix. Over 60 million households watched the event, making it one of the most-watched live events in Netflix history.
Jake Paul's decision to fight Tyson did not please Dana White, who shares a close relationship with Mike Tyson, citing the significant 31-year age gap between the two fighters.
However, during the post-fight press conference after UFC 309, White admitted he was wrong, saying:
"I told him, ' Mike, you're basically 60 years old.' And he's like, 'You honestly think this kid's going to do anything to me? He's not good, he's not going to knock me out.'”
He continued:
"When Mike Tyson shows up, everybody makes money... Mike Tyson is the A+ side of that thing. And he was right, Jake Paul couldn't do sh*t to him.”
Check out Dana White’s Comment below: