"You want to shut that noise up? Start paying the fighters" - Luke Rockhold's advice to Dana White over Jake Paul's fighter pay campaign
Luke Rockhold recently weighed in on the ongoing feud between Dana White and Jake Paul regarding fighter pay. Rockhold believes the UFC president's apt answer to Paul's campaign would be to pay his fighters.
Despite his personal reservations about Paul, Rockhold admitted that 'The Problem Child' brings some important issues to light. The former UFC middleweight champion recently told CBS Sports' Shakiel Mahjouri:
"You wanna shut that noise up? Start paying the fighters you know. You know, Jake Paul, he does bring some relevance. As much as I dislike the guy, he does make some valid points."
Paul has been incessant in calling out UFC chief Dana White regarding fighter pay. 'The Problem Child' has also been calling out UFC fighters for crossover boxing bouts, trying to lure them with offers of lucrative paydays.
Several UFC fighters have also voiced their concerns regarding fighter pay, including heavyweight king Francis Ngannou, whose contract negotiations with the UFC are yet to be closed. 'The Predator' has also expressed interest in a crossover superfight against heavyweight boxing champion Tyson Fury, even doing a joint interview with 'The Gypsy King'.
Watch Rockhold's interview below:
Dana White responds to the idea of a potential bout against Jake Paul
Dana White has made no secret of his dislike for Jake Paul. The two have been trading barbs since 'The Problem Child' ventured into the world of combat sports.
However, White thinks that talking about a potential boxing match with Paul might be stretching it too far. During a recent interview with GQ, MMA journalist Chamatkar Sandhu asked White about the proposition in seemingly good humor. White called Sandhu a 'jackass' for asking the question, noting that he is 53 years old.
While White was close to fighting former UFC champion Tito Ortiz at one point, the UFC president was much younger back then. White replied:
“You guys realize I’m 53 years old now, right? When I was going to fight Tito (Ortiz), I was 37. I’m 53. Come talk to me when you f***ing idiots are 53 years old and tell me if you want to fight some f***ing 20 year old kid. I promise you will not. You are a jackass, Sandhu!”
Watch the clip below: