"Who the F*** is knocking people out flat like that repeatedly" - Logan Paul, Daniel Cormier, and other fighters react to Jake Paul's brutal KO of Tyron Woodley
Jake Paul silenced his doubters by knocking out former UFC welterweight champion Tyron Woodley in their rematch Saturday night at the Amalie Arena in Tampa, Florida.
The initial encounter between Paul and Woodley ended in controversial fashion after the YouTuber narrowly escaped with a split decision victory. This time, however, 'The Problem Child' left no doubt that he's a better boxer than the veteran cage fighter.
The opening moments played out exactly like the first fight did, with both fighters merely trying to outpoint each other. That changed in the sixth round when Paul caught Woodley flush on the jaw with a massive overhand right. The power punch sent the former UFC fighter crashing face-first onto the canvas, flattening him.
Paul's KO of Woodley has sent shockwaves in the MMA community as several fighters witnessed their comrade suffer the most devastating loss of his combat sports career. Here's how the pros reacted to the YouTube star's latest highlight.
UFC fighters react to Jake Paul vs. Tyron Woodley 2
Jake Paul received mixed reviews from Tyron Woodley's fellow MMA fighters. Most were understandably sore from seeing Paul embarrass an MMA legend like Woodley, but some gave the YouTube star props for getting the job done.
Former two-division UFC champion and fight analyst Daniel Cormier usually has some unique insights. However, 'DC' was rendered almost speechless by Paul's KO victory. Cormier tweeted:
Reigning UFC bantamweight champion Aljamain Sterling pointed out that Paul enjoyed an unfair advantage due to his sheer size. The bout took place at cruiserweight (190 pounds), which is 20 pounds above Woodley's natural weight class.
UFC superstar Jorge Masvidal, who was in attendance for the event, posted a video to address Paul's post-fight callout. 'Gamebred' told Paul to find another opponent because, "you can't afford me."
MMA stars Derek Brunson, Marvin Vettori and Chris Leben all offered to be Paul's next opponent. Vettori claimed he felt obligated to redeem the reputation of MMA against Paul, while Leben challenged the YouTuber to a bare-knuckle fight.
Billy Quarantillo stated that the fight was "terrible" but praised Paul for his knockout power. Meanwhile, Kevin Holland believes it's time for Woodley to retire from fighting and focus on his rap career instead. Middleweight contender Paolo Costa also expressed his disappointment with Woodley.
MMA manager Ali Abdelaziz also chimed in with his thoughts, saying his client Kamaru Usman will KO Paul.
Boxing figures react to Jake Paul vs. Tyron Woodley 2
Jake Paul's older brother, Logan Paul, was the first person 'The Problem Child' came to after knocking out Tyron Woodley. 'Maverick' was beaming with pride after his brother earned the most notable highlight of his career. Logan hopped on Twitter to give out his immediate reaction.
On the flipside, Claressa Shields wasn't too happy to see Paul succeed. The former Olympic boxer, of course, has been at odds with Paul over the past few months. The 'GWOAT' attributed Paul's victory to sheer luck.
Finally, iconic boxing trainer and fight commentator Teddy Atlas heaped praise on Paul. Atlas commended Paul for remaining calm through adversity.
Paul sustained a cut on his forehead after taking an inadvertent elbow from the former MMA world champ. Nonetheless, Paul put his fortitude on display by surviving and finishing strong.