When given the opportunity, YouTuber-turned-boxer Jake Paul did
not shy away from a chance to criticize UFC head Dana White.
On Thursday, Paul hosted the press conference
for the upcoming Professional Fighters League event titled
“Battle of the Giants: Brace for Impact.” Paul, who has engaged
in repeated back-and-forth exchanges with White over the years,
re-ignited his fire towards the Ultimate Fighting Championship brass. Among his
grievances towards the UFC include the issue of fighter pay as well
as his desire to have boxing matches against active UFC
fighters.
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When asked about the winner between Francis
Ngannou and Renan
Ferreira potentially facing current UFC heavyweight champion
Jon
Jones, Paul said he did not believe White would take the risk
of doing so. Currently a rival businessman in the combat sports
world, Paul suggested that the leading MMA league does not treat
its fans properly.
“I think Dana [White] is scared to make that happen,” Park remarked
about Ngannou or Ferreira vs. Jones. “He doesn’t want to lose his
horse to Jon Jones. I
love Jon
Jones, but that is too much of a risk for Dana to take. Francis
is one of the baddest, if not the baddest, man on the planet. I
think Dana is scared and he doesn’t want to do that. But the MMA
fans want that. But Dana never does anything for the fans.”
Former UFC heavyweight king Ngannou left the organization and the
sport to pursue a pair of encounters in the boxing ring. The
Cameroon-born competitor nearly picked up a decision over
pound-for-pound great Tyson Fury,
and then suffered a knockout at the hands of Anthony
Joshua. His return to MMA in October will be his first fight
under the PFL banner, and the first MMA fight for Ngannou since
January 2022. In that most recent outing, Ngannou outworked
Ciryl
Gane to defend his heavyweight throne, only to surrender it
later and enter free agency.
Brazil’s Ferreira earned the chance to take on “The Predator” by
smiting Ryan Bader at
the Bellator vs PFL: Champs vs. Champs event in February. The
titanic 6-foot-8 striker blazed through the Bellator MMA heavyweight kingpin with ease, closing
the show with a 21-second knockout to earn the “superbelt” at that
event. In his career, the man who calls himself “Problema” has
earned 12 of his 13 victories inside the distance.
As both men prepare for battle at The Mayadeen in Riyadh, Saudi
Arabia, the debate will continue as to who will be the top
heavyweight in the world.
Sherdog’s Official Rankings do not include Ngannou in the
heavyweight ranks due to his inactivity in MMA, while Jones sits at
the no. 2 spot beneath Tom
Aspinall. Paul believes this to be different, proclaiming that
the winner between Ngannou and Ferreira should be considered the
best heavyweight in the sport.