'He trained very hard' - Georges St-Pierre gives his take on Jake Paul's boxing credentials
Georges St-Pierre believes Jake Paul's boxing skills cannot be disregarded.
The former UFC welterweight champion also said he expected Paul to beat Ben Askren in their Triller Fight Club scrap, which took place earlier this year in April.
St-Pierre is considered one of the greatest UFC fighters of all time. During his 15-year-long MMA career, the Canadian amassed an extraordinary 26-2 record. He announced his retirement from the sport in 2017 after defeating Michael Bisping at UFC 217.
St-Pierre recently had a chat with his former coach, Firas Zahabi, where he weighed in on Paul's boxing credentials. According to the 40-year-old, 'The Problem Child' trained very hard for his fight against Askren.
"I know people that were training in the same gym as him (Jake Paul) and they told me that he was training very hard," said St-Pierre.
When Zahabi asked Georges St-Pierre if he thinks Paul could beat Tyron Woodley, the former UFC champ responded:
"He could definitely. It's a different sport. In MMA, I would say no, but in boxing, he's much bigger than Tyron Woodley and also he's training very hard. I'm not saying that is what going to happen but he definitely can do it."
Georges St-Pierre, however, remained doubtful of Paul being a legitimate fighter. He suggested that even if the YouTuber gets past Woodley, he would not be able to propel his boxing status and establish himself as an "elite boxer".
Georges St-Pierre thinks the Paul brothers deserve praise for their marketing brilliance
During an interview with JOE.co.uk, Georges St-Pierre heaped praise on Jake and Logan Paul for promoting themselves shrewdly. 'GSP' said he's not one of the haters who ridicules the Paul brothers.
"I'm not one of the haters. I think they're doing well. They're great athletes and they ride the wave, they make a lot of money with it, and I'm glad for him. My friend Jean Pascal trained with one of them in Puerto Rico, I think they're both there actually. He said they work very hard, they're hard workers, they ride the wave, you know. It's a new era with social media and all that," said Georges St-Pierre.
Jake Paul is currently 3-0 as a professional boxer. He has registered wins over YouTuber AnEsonGib, former NBA star Nate Robinson and Ben Askren.
Meanwhile, Logan Paul's only professional boxing match ended with him losing the fight via a split decision to arch-rival KSI.