WATCH: Past struggles with substance abuse don't stop Jake Paul from smoking cigarette while training for Nate Diaz
Jake Paul is getting creative with training for his return against Nate Diaz.
'The Problem Child' has been out of the ring since his high-profile clash with Tommy Fury in February. Entering the contest a massive favorite, the YouTuber suffered the first loss of his career via split decision.
While Paul voiced his desire for an instant rematch with 'TNT,' he first has business with Nate Diaz. The Stockton slugger left the UFC last September following a win over Tony Ferguson and quickly targeted a move to the boxing ring.
The two are now slated to face off on DAZN pay-per-view in August. Ahead of the contest, there's been a lot of talk about how long the bout will be. Diaz requested ten rounds instead of 8, and to his credit, Paul agreed.
Jake Paul's lungs are seemingly ready for the long fight, as evidenced by his Instagram. There, the YouTuber-turned-boxer showed himself hitting the speed bag while smoking a cigarette. While likely unadvisable, there's no doubt that the boxer has a great gas tank.
To date, the YouTuber-turned-boxer has only completed an eight-round fight. He will now look to do ten and beat Nate Diaz on August 5th.
Jake Paul reflects on prior substance abuse
Jake Paul and his Instagram video are interesting considering his past with substance abuse.
'The Problem Child' has famously credited boxing with saving his life. While he wasn't wrapped up in a life of crime or anything like that, Paul has admitted that he was in a dark place in his life prior to fighting.
In a recent interview with Graham Bensinger, Jake Paul admitted that during his YouTube days, he had to do substances to make videos. He explained that either through being on cannabis or drinking alcohol, he needed to be at a certain place to perform.
Years later, the boxer was able to poke fun at smoking in his recently uploaded video. Nonetheless, the matter wasn't a joking one for Paul for a long time. In the interview, he admitted:
"When I didn't want to do something, I was like, oh, I'll smoke weed or get drunk, to do this video, 'cause that'll make it more fun. But then all of a sudden, you're developing these bad habits because, for someone like me, I had to do it every single day. There was a point where everything went downhill for the Paul brothers."