"Now Conor McGregor is hostage" - Jake Paul takes aim at Dana White’s “failed” boxing efforts and promotional shortcomings
Jake Paul calls out Dana White for being a "boxing promoter his whole career."
Over the years, White has teased an expansion into professional boxing. The UFC CEO has mostly recently worked alongside rising superstar Callum Walsh and claimed he plans to increase his affiliation in the sport in the next few months.
On Friday night, Paul solidified himself as one of the biggest superstars in boxing by reportedly filling over 70,000 seats for his fight against Mike Tyson. Following the unanimous decision win, 'The Problem Child' has been taking a victory lap on social media, leading to him posting the following message on Twitter, he wrote:
"Dana White has a been boxing promoter his whole career. All these nut riders need to do their research. His TV show failed. Couldn’t sell 4K tickets in Dublin with that useless Irish boxer he’s promoting. And he is not fighters first. He’s Dana first. Builds you up and tears you down. Now Conor McGregor is hostage. Free Conor."
In 2014, Dana White worked with Peter Welch to release a reality TV show called "Fighters." White and Welch attempted to make a splash in the sport by showcasing a similar concept to "The Ultimate Fighter." The Discovery channel seemingly wasn't happy with the viewership and didn't pursue a second season.
Jake Paul's "hostage" claims could be related to Conor McGregor's MMA call-out
In January 2023, Jake Paul announced he signed a contract with the Professional Fighters League (PFL). Since then, the YouTuber-turned-fighter has teased a transition to mixed martial arts, with no definitive opponent or fight date in sight.
Earlier this week, 'The Problem Child' took to Twitter and had this to say about wanting to fight Conor McGregor in MMA. He wrote:
"Dear Conor, I know you told my team you would fight me at 170lbs. That’s never happening. But let’s run it in MMA. No weight class. Just like how it used to be done. But you won’t"
Conor McGregor reportedly has two fights left on his UFC contract. The former two-division UFC champion would potentially be a free agent if it weren't for several injuries and setbacks, which have kept him sidelined since July 2021.
Possibly Jake Paul's reference to McGregor being "a hostage" is related to his ongoing contract situation.