Jake Paul dismisses Conor McGregor fight, wants to take on Alex Pereira instead: "I want a tougher challenge"
Jake Paul explained why he called out Alex Pereira for a boxing match instead of Conor McGregor or another superstar.
On Saturday night, Paul sold out the Amalie Arena in Tampa, Florida for his latest fight against Mike Perry. 'The Problem Child' proved too much for the Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship superstar, as he knocked down the latter several times before securing a sixth-round knockout, extending his professional record to 10-1.
Following his impressive performance, the YouTuber-turned-boxer unexpectedly called out UFC light heavyweight champion Alex Pereira. Paul later explained his reasoning by saying this during an episode of his podcast, BS w/ Jake Paul:
"I want a tougher challenge than [Conor] McGregor. F*ck McGregor, I want Alex Pereira. I want the light heavyweight champion. Because people say everything about weight difference, forty this, whatever. Mike [Perry], I was 212 in the ring tonight, so ten-pound difference, that's common in boxing, but Alex Pereira rehydrates to 240."
Paul continued by saying:
"So, I want someone who when I f*ck them up like I did tonight, there is no excuses. Alex Pereira, six-foot-four, 240 pounds, kickboxing world champion, two-division champion in the UFC. When I beat him, what the f*ck can they say?... Let's go, Alex Pereira is who I want."
Alex Pereira is a former two-division Glory Kickboxing world champion. He later transitioned to the UFC where he's solidified himself as a legend in nine fights by claiming the middleweight and light heavyweights titles separately. 'Poatan' last fought on June 29, defending his 205-pound throne against Jiri Prochazka.
Watch Jake Paul explain why he called out Alex Pereira below:
Is Jake Paul vs Alex Pereira a realistic boxing match?
Before worrying about Alex Pereira, Jake Paul has business to take care of against a heavyweight boxing legend. On November 15, 'The Problem Child' will face Mike Tyson in a controversial boxing match inside AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas.
Assuming he emerges victorious, Paul could pursue the matchup against Pereira. Unfortunately, the possibility of the matchup remains low. 'Poatan' is signed to the UFC and would need permission from Dana White to accept the opportunity. White hasn't been overly interested in his fighters facing the YouTuber-turned-boxer.
Pereira has more to accomplish in the UFC against number two-ranked light heavyweight Magomed Ankalaev. Therefore, a boxing matchup between 'Poatan' and 'The Problem Child' is unlikely as the timelines currently don't make sense.
Watch the entire episode of BS w/ Jake Paul below: