Jake Paul always has options where his fight career is concerned, but after facing Nate Diaz on Aug. 5, the always outspoken “Problem Child” has his sights set on one matchup in particular.
For several years, the 26-year-old social influencer turned boxer has targeted a future fight with UFC superstar Conor McGregor. In his opinion, Paul believes there would be no better time to book that matchup than after he vanquishes Diaz, who has gone 1-1 with McGregor in a pair of epic encounters.
“There’s so many fighters, there’s so many people out there,” Paul said about what’s next when speaking to TalkSport. “We have offers out to Tommy [Fury], we’ve been trying to do the KSI negotiations for years so there’s just a lot down the horizon.
“But when I knock out Nate Diaz, I think that Conor McGregor’s going to see me, want a payday and come and get knocked out.”
While Paul’s entire fight career has centered around boxing where he’s picked off a couple of past UFC champions in Anderson Silva and Tyron Woodley, he seems serious about eventually crossing over to MMA.
Paul inked a deal with the PFL that not only gives him equity in the company but he’s teased his plans to eventually compete in MMA, although there’s no timeline set on when that might actually happen.
According to Paul, he’s definitely exploring that option and he would even be willing to entertain an MMA fight against McGregor if that’s preferrable to the former two-division UFC champion.
“We can fight in the PFL smart cage, whatever it is,” Paul said. “I told everybody I would fight Conor in any form of fight. Because, in my opinion, he is that shot.
“I’ll do MMA. I’m not afraid. I’ve wanted to do that my whole career. [I have] a wrestling background. All I’d have to learn is some jiu-jitsu and some kicks, which seems pretty easy to me.”
As far as other possibilities, Paul obviously wants the chance to get back at Tommy Fury, who handed him his first and only loss in a split decision back in February.
That option is open but Paul was quick to shut down the idea that he could potentially face KSI next despite the growing rivalry between them.
KSI, who actually defeated Paul’s older brother Logan Paul in a boxing match before the duo became friends and business partners, had recently been attached to his own fight against Fury, although negotiations have stalled in recent weeks.
Paul is adamant that KSI wants no part of boxing him, which is why he’s not spending much time focusing on that potential fight.
“With KSI, I don’t know,” Paul said. “The kid’s been saying for years and years, he has all these excuses. He’s going on tour, he’s focusing on himself, he’s posting back on YouTube again. He’s doing all this stuff when I’ve just consistently been fighting and fighting and fighting and ready to go at any given time.
“As far as I’m concerned, he doesn’t want the fight.”
