Jake Paul claims Conor McGregor is the "most underpaid fighter in history" and recognizes "the value he has brought to UFC"
YouTube star Jake Paul has been involved in a war of words against MMA legend Conor McGregor over the past several months.
Paul secured a spectacular KO victory over former NBA star Nate Robinson back in November 2020. He followed the victory up with a series of interviews and social media posts directed at McGregor.
Furthermore, Jake Paul’s win over former UFC star and widely revered mixed martial arts veteran Ben Askren earlier this year earned him a significant amount of notoriety in the combat sports world. Paul has also notably raised the issue of fighter pay in the sport of MMA.
Jake Paul has claimed that the pay structure is unfair to the fighters, even in top-tier MMA organizations such as the UFC. ‘The Problem Child’ has consistently asserted that the promotion's fighters deserve to be compensated considerably more than what they’re currently being paid.
Now, Paul has once again shed light upon the issue. The 24-year-old is under contract with Showtime Sports, who are promoting his upcoming fight. Showtime Sports President Stephen Espinoza recently gave an interview with MMA Fighting, wherein he spoke about the internet star.
Jake Paul included a video clip of the interview in a tweet and added a statement. In it, the YouTuber-turned-boxer suggested that Conor McGregor is the most underpaid fighter in the UFC, based on the value the Irishman has brought to the promotion and its business partners.
“I partnered with @stephenespinoza bc he created the biggest PPVs in history & made sure fighters got majority of the revenue..not 10% like UFC does. McGregor is the most underpaid fighter in history (what he gets paid to fight versus the value he has brought to UFC, ESPN and MMA)”
Jake Paul vs. Tyron Woodley and Conor McGregor vs. Dustin Poirier
Jake Paul is set to fight former UFC welterweight champion Tyron Woodley in a professional boxing match on August 29.
Meanwhile, Conor McGregor is currently recovering from a leg injury he suffered in his trilogy fight against Dustin Poirier at UFC 264 last month. McGregor, who is the highest-paid UFC fighter in history and 2021’s highest-paid athlete, is expected to return no sooner than 2022.
Regarding his next fight, Conor McGregor has indicated that he’d like to fight Poirier for the fourth time and capture a UFC title again as well.