Saudi Arabia's Turki Alalshikh not a fan of "circus" Jake Paul vs. Mike Perry fight, denies paying Francis Ngannou $30 million
His Excellency Turki Alalshikh has seemingly taken aim at the Jake Paul vs. Mike Perry fight. Additionally, the GEA (General Entertainment Authority) Chairman also addressed the speculation surrounding the payouts accorded to former UFC heavyweight champion Francis Ngannou for his pair of boxing matches in Saudi Arabia.
YouTuber-cum-boxer Paul faced BKFC star and former UFC welterweight Mike Perry in a cruiserweight boxing bout in Tampa, Florida, USA, on July 20, 2024. 'The Problem Child' spectacularly stopped Perry via sixth-round TKO and improved his professional boxing record to 10-1.
Since his pro boxing debut in Jan. 2020, Paul's critics have argued that he primarily fights athletes who aren't full-time boxers, are at a size disadvantage, or are well past their athletic prime.
Notably, when Paul fought Tommy Fury, a full-time boxer who was around his age, he suffered the first defeat of his boxing career. Paul's detractors, including prominent combat sports personalities such as MMA megastar Conor McGregor and UFC CEO Dana White, have consistently criticized him for his choice of opponents.
On that note, His Excellency Turki Alalshikh, a prominent boxing promoter closely associated with Saudi Arabia's 'Riyadh Season,' appears to have chimed in with his criticism against Jake Paul. Alluding to the Paul-Perry fight, he tweeted:
"this is not boxing ..."
An X user responded by suggesting that the GEA Chairman paid a non-boxer like Francis Ngannou $30 million for two boxing matches. In his pro boxing debut last October, Ngannou lost a closely-contested fight to Tyson Fury via split decision. 'The Predator' then boxed Anthony Joshua this March and lost via second-round KO.
Before the two aforementioned matches, Ngannou had never competed in the sport of boxing. Reports from the Sports Business Journal and Forbes implied that Ngannou earned around $10 million each for his fights against the heavyweight boxing icons.
The X user seemed to reference the same in his tweet. His Excellency replied by clarifying that he didn't pay Ngannou $30 million. He emphasized that Ngannou's a real fighter and equated the Jake Paul-Mike Perry fight to a circus:
"first of all, it is not 30 million ... second thing Francis real fighter and do great fight not like this circus"
Jake Paul eyes potential fight against Alex Pereira after Mike Tyson showdown
Jake Paul was initially booked to face former undisputed heavyweight champion boxer Mike Tyson in a heavyweight bout on July 20. Nevertheless, an ulcer flare-up in May ruled Tyson out, and Mike Perry stepped in on short notice to fight Paul at cruiserweight.
During his in-ring post-fight interview, 'The Problem Child' spoke about wanting to face UFC superstar Alex Pereira after his upcoming matchup against boxing legend Mike Tyson in November.
A former UFC middleweight champion and the reigning UFC light heavyweight champion, Alex Pereira had recently expressed his interest in pursuing the UFC heavyweight title and trying his hand at boxing too. Responding to Jake Paul, 'Poatan' put forth an Instagram featuring his signature catchphrase 'Chama!' and Paul's call-out. Pereira also FaceTimed the influencer.
Regardless, Pereira is under contract with the UFC. The consensus is that the UFC is unlikely to permit its active fighters to compete in another sport, especially against a longtime UFC critic like Paul. Presently, Paul is expected to box Mike Tyson on Nov. 15, 2024.
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