The ‘Problem Child’ Jake Paul is on the lookout for his next opponent after his bout with the legendary Mike Tyson got postponed to Nov. 15 due to the latter’s medical issue. With time on his hands before the Tyson fight, he wants to set foot on the octagon for the first time. The UFC Bantamweight Champion Sean O’Malley is in his crosshairs. The Ohio native has the bout planned for a possible crossover event between the UFC and PFL later this month at UFC 303. For the uninitiated, Jake Paul had signed a multi-fight contract with PFL last year. However, he hasn’t fought under the banner as of yet.
But is the matchup possible? The weight difference between the two fighters is huge. Or, is it another PR stunt from Jake Paul to stay relevant till the Tyson fight? Combat fans know very well that he has a knack for stirring up chaos on the internet. Remember him calling out Canelo Alvarez and Conor McGregor? Well, we all know how that turned out. Will the O’Malley matchup also end up being a dead-end street or will Jake Paul shock us again by making his debut against the UFC champion?
Jake Paul has let out the first battle cry on social media. On X, Jake Paul tweeted, “100% will kill O’Malley in MMA. He’s a small man. PFL Vs UFC June 29th”
On the other hand, Sean is up for the challenge. “I’ll fight Jake Paul to save UFC 303,” he tweeted.
At first, the logistics of the bout need to be cleared up. Unfortunately, things don’t add up. Sean O’Malley fights at 135 pounds. His last fight was a bantamweight title defense against Marlon Vera. Meanwhile, Paul’s re-scheduled bout against Mike Tyson is supposed to be at heavyweight sanctioned by the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation. In his previous boxing fights, he was competing in the 200-pound weight division (cruiserweight). As things currently stand, there is a massive difference of 65 pounds between the two combat sports athletes. It seems highly improbable that the UFC head honcho Dana White will sanction the fight.
In terms of skillset at display, O’Malley has elite striking as well as grappling skills. Meanwhile, Paul has only shown his adeptness with his fast hands. Very little is known about his grappling skills, and striking with legs. Although Paul has a background in high-school wrestling, it doesn’t hold a candle to O’Malley’s brown belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. ‘Suga’ also participated in various grappling contests like Quintet Ultra and Grappling Industries. However, with a tremendous weight advantage, a punch packed with power could be lights out for Malley. By the looks of it, the matchup could take the trajectory of Floyd Mayweather and Logan Paul: a complete mismatch in terms of weight, but a fight that was finalized. However, will White be up for it?
Meanwhile, PFL CEO Pete Murray told MMA Junkie that Paul will make his MMA debut in 2025 after his fight with Tyson. However, with the unforeseen delay in that fight, Paul is looking to make his MMA debut sooner than expected. With growing uncertainty about Conor McGregor vs. Michael Chandler’s fight at UFC 303, ‘The Problem Child’ is looking to fill in the slot.
With Paul’s deal with PFL in place, it all depends upon the promotion on how they want to manage Jake’s career in MMA. However, will Dana White’s bad blood with Jake Paul hamper the latter’s dream crossover bout in MMA?
When Dana White called Jake Paul a “PPV turd”
Dana White has routinely called out Jake Paul for picking easy fights. Whether it’s calling him out for taking a fight against a 57-year-old Mike Tyson or competing in the boxing ring against washed-up MMA legends, safe to say, that White doesn’t consider him to be a serious fighter. In one such instance, he took a dig at Paul for wanting to fight Hasim Rahman Jr. Back in 2022, Rahman Jr. was coming off a KO loss to James McKenzie Morrison.
“I saw [Rahman] just got knocked out by Tommy Morrison’s son,” White said. “He just got knocked out. Why wouldn’t you go after the guy that knocked him out?” he added.
Calling him a “PPV turd”, White further stated, “That’s not the business I’m in. I’m in a different business than that. I’m in the tough fight business.”
Do you agree with Dana White’s opinion that Jake Paul fights for gimmicks? Or, do you think Jake Paul is a force to reckon with in combat sports? Also, do you think the Jake Paul-Sean O’Malley matchup will happen? Let us know in the comments section below.
