"I don't hate Jake Paul" - Georges St-Pierre lauds YouTube star for being a 'smart businessman', gives thoughts on his fight against Tommy Fury
Georges St-Pierre has directed words of high praise towards Jake Paul, referring to the YouTube megastar as "a very smart businessman.” 'GSP' also gave his thoughts on ‘The Problem Child’ facing Tommy ‘TNT’ Fury next month.
The Canadian MMA legend is interested to see how the upcoming boxing match between Paul and Fury plays out. In an interview with SPORF, the former two-division UFC champion stated:
“A lot of people hate Jake Paul. I don’t hate Jake Paul. I think he is doing a great job. You know, it’s about hate me, love me, but don’t ignore me. People tune in, and he makes a lot of money. He’s a very smart businessman. And I think so far, he did great. So, I’m not a Jake Paul hater, guys.”
“Yeah, now he’s coming into the real world of boxing. He’s going up against a real boxer in boxing. So, we’ll see what he’s made of, you know. It’s gonna be same weight class, you know, no trick. So, they both gonna know what they’re getting into. So, it’s gonna be interesting. I’m gonna tune in for that one.”
Georges St-Pierre’s last MMA fight took place in November 2017. 'Rush' hasn’t competed in professional combat sports since. Back in 2019 and 2020 rumors circulated that St-Pierre could potentially return for a dream matchup against Khabib Nurmagomedov. However, the fight didn’t materialize.
Earlier this year, 'GSP' expressed interest in a boxing bout against legendary pugilist Oscar De La Hoya. Nevertheless, St-Pierre’s still under UFC contract. The promotion reportedly prevented him from competing in the boxing match. St-Pierre has subsequently kept busy with his acting career.
Watch Georges St-Pierre open up about "The Problem Child" and the Jake Paul vs. Tommy Fury fight in the video below:
Jake Paul has made unique stipulations for his fight against Tommy Fury
Akin to St-Pierre, many others in the combat sports community have praised Jake Paul's business acumen. The 24-year-old Paul has amassed a 4-0 professional boxing record. He'll face the 22-year-old Tommy Fury, whose boxing record stands at an impressive 7-0.
Ahead of his clash against Tommy, who belongs to the legendary Fury boxing family, Paul has attached a few unique stipulations to their fight.
Keeping in line with his image as an innovative fight promoter, Jake Paul made Tommy Fury agree to a contract whereby he’ll have to temporarily change his name to ‘Tommy Fumbles’ if he loses to Paul. Alternatively, if Fury wins, he won't have to change his name, and Paul will pay him an additional $500,000.
The professional boxing match between Jake Paul and Tommy Fury will be contested at a 192-pound catchweight. Paul vs. Fury headlines the Dec.18, 2021 fight card at the Amalie Arena in Tampa, Florida.