What did Dana White say about Hasim Rahman Jr., Jake Paul's next opponent?
Dana White didn't pull his punches when speaking about Jake Paul's next boxing opponent, Hasim Rahman Jr.
White was speaking at the UFC Fight Night: Brian Ortega vs. Yair Rodríguez post-fight press conference when a reporter asked him about Paul's next fight.
The UFC president seemed confused by the YouTuber's choice of opponent, given that Rahman Jr. lost his previous outing against Kenzie Morrison via TKO.
While speaking to the press, White stated:
"I saw he (Rahman Jr.) just got knocked out by Tommy Morrison’s son. He just got knocked out. Why wouldn’t you go after the guy that knocked him out?"
Watch the UFC Long Island post-fight press conference here:
It seems White would have preferred that Jake Paul had challenged the winner of Hasim Rahman Jr.'s previous bout. James McKenzie Morrison, otherwise known as Kenzie Morrison, is currently 20-0 in his professional boxing career. 18 of his wins have come via knockout or TKO.
Rahman Jr. also has an impressive record, with just one loss in his 13 professional outings. While only six of his wins have come via KO or TKO, this should be fine against Paul. Rahman Jr. is a naturally bigger fighter weight-wise, usually competing in the heavyweight division.
Is Dana White willing to let Jake Paul fight in the UFC?
Since the Paul brothers entered the world of combat sports, both have shown an interest in entering the octagon. While the door isn't completely shut for Jake Paul, it doesn't seem like something Dana White is keen on.
The UFC president was asked if he would let Jake Paul compete in the organization at the UFC Long Island post-fight press conference. White took a "never say never" approach but then followed that up by saying:
"I would never say never. But, that's the last f***ing thing on earth I'm thinking about."
Watch White speak about Paul here:
Jake Paul is seemingly interested in fighting Nate Diaz, with the UFC star currently struggling to book a fight within the organization and having contract issues. However, this would likely be a boxing bout as it would seem very unfair on Paul to face Diaz under MMA rules.
The YouTuber has never competed within professional MMA and given what Dana White said, he will likely have to wait a little longer.