Kevin Holland calls out Jake Paul
UFC middleweight Kevin Holland appears to have called out YouTuber-turned-boxer Jake Paul in the latest development of the ongoing rivalry between Paul and the MMA community.
Jake Paul is a YouTuber who decided to pick up boxing gloves and currently has a 3-0 record. He fought on the undercard for the Mike Tyson vs. Roy Jones Jr. fight. The interesting thing to note, though, is that Paul has only ever fought non-boxers. His first opponent was a YouTuber like himself, his second was a retired basketball player, and his third opponent was former Bellator champion Ben Askren.
While Paul can formidably claim to have defeated an actual fighter following his win over Askren, it's worth mentioning that Ben Askren is a wrestler with a history of terrible striking skills even in the MMA world. Nonetheless, Jake Paul's record officially reads as 3-0.
UFC middleweight Kevin Holland recently issued a challenge to Jake Paul on Twitter.
'Trailblazer' is one of the most exciting new prospects in the UFC's middleweight division. He lost two fights in 2021 but won five bouts in a span of seven months in 2020. Holland has lost his last two bouts via decision because of being dominated by superior wrestling, but he has an incredible stand-up game. Kevin Holland is an extremely gifted striker, and it's safe to say that he could definitely hold his own in a boxing ring.
That said, boxing and MMA striking aren't the same. Fighters drill their techniques for years until it becomes muscle memory. In mixed martial arts, striking involves throwing kicks and knees, even elbows. On the other hand, boxing is strictly limited to punches, and the rules vary greatly between boxing and MMA.
Jake Paul's ongoing tussle with the UFC
Jake Paul may be a YouTuber-turned-boxer who hasn't fought any pro boxers yet, but there is a reason he seems to want to avoid that and instead sticks to calling out UFC fighters. A striker who has spent most of their life training multiple disciplines will definitely be out of their comfort zone in a different sport, even if the two sports may be related. It just isn't the same.
Adding to that, Jake Paul is the poster child of Triller Fight Club, and it is highly doubtful that they will let their cash cow be matched up against someone who has a chance of beating him. So far, Jake Paul hasn't responded to Kevin Holland's callout.
UFC president Dana White has slammed Jake Paul for calling out his fighters and stated that he doesn't believe the pay-per-view (PPV) numbers Triller Fight Club has been claiming. Paul has even got into a feud with former two-division UFC champion Daniel Cormier, who confronted the YouTuber at UFC 261.