Former UFC champion eager to fight Jake Paul in 'The Problem Child's MMA debut
Former UFC lightweight champion Anthony Pettis has thrown in his name to fight Jake Paul in an MMA fight.
Paul recently uploaded a video announcing that he would be stepping foot in the world of mixed martial arts having signed a multi-year deal with the PFL.
🏼My first MMA fight.
👇🏼👇🏼👇🏼👇🏼
youtu.be/aEnLP0hif-0
In the video, the YouTuber-turned-boxer also offered UFC star Nate Diaz a two-fight deal. With it, the first bout would take place in the boxing ring, with their second encounter being an MMA fight in the PFL six months later.
After the news broke, 'Showtime' put out a tweet welcoming Paul to the fight promotion. Pettis also said that if the Diaz fight could not become a reality, he would be happy to be the first guy to face 'The Problem Child' in a mixed martial arts matchup:
"Welcome to the PFL @jakepaul More than happy to welcome you to MMA’s league if Nate isn’t available"
Welcome to the PFL @jakepaul
More than happy to welcome you to MMA’s league if Nate isn’t available 🤝 @PeteMurrayPFL @PFLMMA @DonnDavisPFL
Anthony Pettis is not having a pleasant run in the PFL. 'Showtime' made his debut in the promotion in April 2021 and has competed six times since. Unfortunately, the 35-year-old has only managed to secure one victory in those six outings.
But despite the rough patch he is going through, Pettis is still a skilled fighter who could pose a serious threat, especially to an inexperienced fighter like Paul.
Jake Paul will introduce a new division to the PFL
Jake Paul has signed a multi-year contract with the PFL.
He and his business partner Nakisa Bidarian, former CFO of UFC, now own equity in the organization, as well.
Much more on the deal, which calls for Jake to compete in MMA, too, via The NY Times: nytimes.com/2023/01/05/spo…
With his new deal with the PFL, Jake Paul now owns equity in the fight promotion. He is ready to introduce and take part in a new 'Super Fight' division in the organization.
The division will reportedly feature prominent fighters who have the ability to attract eyeballs to an event. Fighters competing in this division will also stand to earn a minimum of 50 percent of the event's revenue.
Also of note, Paul will be heading a super-fight PPV division for the PFL.
Fighters on those cards will earn “at least 50%” of the revenue, per the article.
Although Jake Paul has no official opponent lined up for his MMA debut, the news has caused a lot of commotion in the sport. Many fans appear intrigued to know who 'The Problem Child' will be pitted against and how he'll fare inside the cage.