Joe Rogan and 'Sugar' Sean O'Malley have lauded cruiserweight pugilist Jake Paul for the massive improvements that the YouTuber-turned-boxer has displayed in his fighting prowess. Paul, who has a 6-0 record in boxing, made his professional debut in January 2020. The 25-year-old boasts victories over MMA veterans such as Ben Askren, Tyron Woodley, and Anderson Silva.
In a recent edition of The Joe Rogan Experience podcast, the UFC commentator referenced Paul's most recent boxing match, which ended in a unanimous decision win against MMA great Anderson Silva last month. The podcast host suggested that if it were any other up-and-coming boxer instead of YouTube star Paul, they'd be praised for dominantly defeating MMA fighters in the boxing ring.
He notably highlighted 'The Problem Child's knockdown and impressive decision victory over Silva. Furthermore, imagining a scenario where Paul goes on to win a boxing world title, Rogan stated:
"You would say, 'Look at this up-and-coming boxer who tricks these MMA guys into boxing with him.' He's knocking them all out. Knocked out Ben Askren, knocked out Tyron Woodley with one punch. Anybody that doesn't think he's legit after that, you're delusional. Imagine if he wins a world title. Like, what if he does this for five or six more years and wins a world title?"
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Watch the podcast episode below:
Additionally, Sean O'Malley opined that Jake Paul improved in leaps and bounds between his rematch against Tyron Woodley in December 2021 and his recent fight against Anderson Silva. The UFC bantamweight superstar indicated that Paul also partook in a training camp for heavyweight boxer Hasim Rahman Jr. between those fights and kept evolving. 'Sugar' elaborated by saying:
"He's clearly improving fast too. From that last fight to the Anderson Silva fight, [Paul] improved a lot. He went through a full fight camp. He was supposed to fight that 'Top Ramen Jr.' [Hasim Rahman Jr.], f**king whatever the guy's name was."
Watch Rogan and O'Malley discuss the topic at 4:55 in the video below:
Is a fight with another MMA legend on the cards for Jake Paul in 2023?
Since beating the legendary Anderson Silva, Jake Paul has been linked to potential boxing matchups against former kickboxing champion Andrew Tate, boxing star Tommy Fury, and former UFC star Nate Diaz. Paul's next opponent and exact comeback date haven't been officially announced yet.
While Tate hasn't fought since December 2020, Jake Paul's previously scheduled fights against Fury have fallen through twice. On that note, many believe that Paul could also box MMA legend Nate Diaz come 2023.
Moreover, Diaz attended the Paul-Silva event and even clashed with Paul's entourage backstage. This, in turn, has led many to believe that their much-discussed dream matchup could materialize next year.