A humbled Jake Paul is targeting a rematch with Tommy Fury over settling a grudge with fellow YouTuber KSI.
“KSI has yet to fight a real opponent, so we don’t even know his actual skill level,” said Paul, leaving out his fellow influencer’s meeting with his older brother, Logan Paul, after his split decision loss to Fury in Saudi Arabia. “Obviously, that’s still a massive fight. But I’m gonna go back for this rematch.
“I just talked to Tommy back in the medical room, and he’s like, ‘Let’s go, let’s do it again.’ And and he’s down for it. So I think that that will be the focus first and foremost. I’m gonna prove that I can go and fight a better fight than I did tonight and get that W.”
Paul and KSI have traded verbal barbs over social media and interviews. But Paul reportedly has a rematch clause in his contract with Fury that guarantees a second go-around with the half-brother of Tyson Fury. Two judges gave the younger Fury the fight via 76-73 scores while one dissented for Paul by a tally of 75-74.
Paul said the difference maker in the fight was his lack of energy more than Fury’s skill in the ring.
“I think he was just really well prepared, and I think it was more so a reflection of my own performance versus him being super outstanding,” Paul said. “I couldn’t get my momentum going like I wanted to, and I just felt kind of flat.
“I think he was exactly the fighter that I expected him to be. I think his combinations were the thing that were a bit more impressive. But more so again, it was a reflection of my own performance, and me just not fighting the way I know I can.”
Fury landed 88 punches to Paul’s 49 over eight rounds in the cruiserweight bout. The British boxer also threw almost double the number of punches and edged Paul in power strikes landed, according to Compubox.
Immediately after the fight, Paul blamed his performance on a pair of illnesses and an arm injury suffered in training camp. As the crowd booed, he walked back his comments somewhat by taking responsibility for his loss, the first of his pro boxing career in 7 fights.
Paul was unable to fully land the overhand right that produced his biggest highlight-reel clip, a knockout of ex-UFC champ Tyron Woodley. He repeatedly ran into Fury’s jab and was unable to capitalize on a knockdown in the eighth round of the fight.
“I think that was a part of the reason it was tough for me to get my best shots going, just me setting them up,” he said. “I don’t know what it was, but I just didn’t have that energy.
“So I guess that happens. I felt like this in the first Tyron Woodley fight when we went all eight rounds, I just felt kind of flat. But obviously that fight, I just was able to pull it off, but it happens in the sport sometimes in these big moments, I guess.”
For the rematch, Paul plans to go back to the drawing board.
“I gotta go back and and look at the tape and really dissect it,” he said. “But I know when I’m in a flow state, when I’m feeling good, when I’m having an amazing night, and this just wasn’t that. And look, I don’t wanna I don’t wanna sit here and make excuses, but I know I can be better.”
