Former UFC title contender Thiago Santos throws his name in the hat to fight Jake Paul
Former UFC fighter and current PFL athlete Thiago Santos (22-11 MMA) has asserted that he'd like to fight YouTuber-turned-boxer Jake Paul. Santos is primarily known for having challenged for the UFC light heavyweight title in a closely-contested fight against MMA legend Jon Jones in 2019.
While the veteran MMA fighter isn't as experienced as Jake Paul (6-0 boxing) in the boxing realm, he's seemingly willing to face Paul in a professional boxing matchup.
Additionally, the 38-year-old Santos criticized the 25-year-old Paul for facing wrestlers and older fighters in his boxing matches. Tagging 'The Problem Child,' Paul's boxing promotion MVP (Most Valuable Promotions), and his (Santos') manager Alex Davis in a tweet; Santos wrote:
"Hey @jakepaul You have been having fun boxing wrestlers and old men. How about fighting a real opponent? I am your huckleberry! @MostVpromotions @Alexdavismma"
Check out the tweet below:
Hey @jakepaul You have been having fun boxing wrestlers and old men. How about fighting a real opponent? I am your huckleberry! @MostVpromotions @Alexdavismma
Thiago Santos' UFC contract's final fight witnessed him suffer a fourth-round TKO defeat against Jamahal Hill in August of this year. Santos subsequently signed with the PFL and will compete in the MMA organization's light heavyweight tournament in 2023. 'Marreta' has lost five of his past six MMA bouts and is on a two-fight losing streak.
Meanwhile, Jake Paul is undefeated in his pro boxing career. The social media influencer has carved a unique niche for himself as one of the biggest stars in combat sports today. Paul is fresh off a unanimous decision victory over MMA great Anderson Silva, whom he faced last month.
Jake Paul gets confronted by John Fury as potential Tommy Fury grudge match looms on the horizon
Jake Paul was in attendance for the Floyd Mayweather vs. Deji boxing event in Dubai on November 13. The event saw Paul's archrival, the 23-year-old Tommy 'TNT' Fury, outwork Rolly Lambert in an exhibition bout. 'TNT's' father, former professional boxer John Fury, later tried to attack Paul, who was present ringside.
As he was held back by security personnel, John Fury proceeded to launch a scathing verbal attack against 'The Problem Child.' The 58-year-old stated:
"Look at me, son! I'm the king of the bare-knuckle [boxing]! I can fight Mike Tyson till death. All your greats, I can fight... You don't know me, son. Get in here then. Put the mic down. Look in these eyes!"
Watch John Fury's attempted attack against 'The Problem Child' in the video below:
MMA fighters such as Thiago Santos, boxers, kickboxers, and several other combat sports athletes continue to call out cruiserweight pugilist Jake Paul. However, as indicated by Paul and his boxing promotion's recent tweets, it appears that he'll face Tommy Fury next.
The consensus is that their long-awaited grudge match could finally materialize in February 2023 in Fury's native England.