Jake Paul belongs to an elite club with Conor McGregor, Mike Tyson, and Floyd Mayweather: Chael Sonnen
YouTuber turned boxing sensation Jake Paul has made a remarkable switch to mixed martial arts and has signed with the Professional Fighters League (PFL).
After beating multiple MMA legends like Anderson Silva and Tyrone Woodley in the boxing ring, Paul now finds himself donning smaller gloves and entering the MMA arena. His unbeaten 6-0 boxing record remains intact as he embarks on his newest combat sports journey with the PFL's newly-unveiled super fight division.
Former UFC middleweight contender Chael Sonnen spoke about Paul's impact on the sport. He mentioned the kind of aura that 'The Problem Child' commands with his fights.
"Jake Paul's debut in the PFL, meaning his debut in MMA. Doesn't matter who his opponent is. It's a really interesting question. For a guy to be powerful enough, for a guy to be interesting in an attraction enough that his opponent does not matter. Guys, it's so incredibly rare."
Sonnen went on to list all the great names that impacted the combat sports world similarly. His list includes Oscar De La Hoya, Mike Tyson, Floyd Mayweather, and Conor McGregor.
"They say over the history of combat sports, it's only happened twice, Oscar De La Hoya and Mike Tyson. Now that list would need [to be] amended. You would need to put Floyd Mayweather on that list and you would need to put Conor McGregor on that list, but that's rare. Those guys aren't even fighting anymore and they're still on that. Whether we deduce that Jake's in it or not, the mere fact that we're having to argue and talk it out. That right there proves a point."
Check out Chael Sonnen's full comments on his YouTube channel:
Conor McGregor criticizes Jake Paul for offering half of the revenue share to fellow fighters
Part of Jake Paul's deal with the PFL also includes a 50% revenue-sharing policy that aims to give back to fighters.
Former UFC lightweight champion Conor McGregor criticized the policy on Twitter and called Paul "numbnuts" while disapproving of the financial agreements in Paul's deal.
"Numbnuts gave away 50% of a future purse if he does an MMA bout? Wow. What an idiot. Joint partnership what? For what you Wally. Wally."
Check out McGregor's now-deleted tweet in the screenshot by Sportskeeda MMA below:
Jake Paul has challenged Conor McGregor to a bout multiple times and has made claims of knocking him out in either boxing or MMA. It remains to be seen if the two will ever face each other.