It might surprise some fans to know that Jake Paul was once a Conor McGregor supporter. However, 'The Problem Child's' admiration for the Irishman seems to have dwindled in recent years, with the influencer boxing star going to extreme lengths in an attempt to coax McGregor into a boxing match.
Despite hurling a long stream of verbal abuse Conor McGregor's way, Jake Paul has justified his actions by pointing to the Irishman's own trash-talking tirades. Specifically, he once mentioned the trash talk that Conor McGregor aimed at Khabib Nurmagomedov's wife during one of his infamous Twitter rampages.
In a past YouTube video, 'The Problem Child' justified his own comments about Dee Devlin, the Irishman's fiancé, by pointing out the former UFC double champion's insults about Numagomedov's wife. When asked if he crossed the line by mentioning Devlin, Paul had the following to say:
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"I don't give a f***. He spoke on Khabib's wife. He said Khabib's wife looks like a towel."
When told about McGrgeor's known history as a trash-talker, Paul doubled down.
"So now he's getting a taste of his own medicine. And now he's all of a sudden, people are butt-hurt I'm going too far. F*** off. This is the fight game."
Despite his attempts to goad McGregor into boxing him, Paul hasn't had much luck, since 'The Notorious' has largely ignored him. In the rare moments when he does acknowledge Paul, he has been dismissive of his boxing ability.
What is Jake Paul's record against MMA fighters?
What has made Jake Paul a fairly prominent name in the world of combat sports is his run of form against retired MMA fighters. 'The Problem Child' first faced former ONE and Bellator welterweight champion Ben Askren after the latter's UFC exit. Their bout didn't last long, as Paul scored a thunderous first-round knockout.
He next faced Tyron Woodley in back to back fights. Their first affair ended in a split-decision win in Paul's favor, before he returned to his power-punching ways by knocking Woodley out cold in their rematch. In the aftermath of his win, he took on the daunting challenge of boxing Anderson Silva.
'The Problem Child' emerged victorious after eight hard rounds. Now, he is scheduled to take on former UFC star Nate Diaz this Saturday.