Dana White issues ultimate Jake Paul putdown over next fight
The pair have clashed several times over the years, but many have been left stunned after their respective events this weekend are set to clash
UFC chief Dana White has delivered a brutal snub to Jake Paul after admitting he did not know the American was fighting this weekend.
The 'Problem Child' is set to return to the ring on Saturday night and will take on former middleweight world champion, Julio Cesar Chavez Jr in Anaheim. Much to the surprise of many, Paul's return takes place on the same night as UFC 317 - scheduled to be held at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.
With many fans eager to tune into both events, White remains unfazed by the fact that the two cards clash. "I didn't even f****** know that, who is he fighting?" he said. "I didn't even know he was fighting so that's how concerned I am about it."
UFC 317 is headlined by a lightweight title fight between Ilia Topuria and Charles Oliveira, while the co-main event sees Alexandre Pantoja defend his flyweight title against Kai Kara-France. The mouthwatering main event is expected to take place at around 5am UK time, while Paul's showdown with Chavez Jr will begin just after 4am on Sunday morning.
Paul and White have traded barbs on several occasions over the last few years. The boxer has fought a number of former UFC stars during his rise in the sport and critiqued the promotion over its fighter pay. In 2023 Paul said he wanted to see the minimum pay for UFC fighters rise from $12,500 to $50,000.
Last year, the YouTuber-turned boxed claimed that he was banned from the UFC's fights ahead sneaking into their landmark card at the Sphere in Las Vegas. The 28-year-old - who has been critical of the UFC - asserted he was barred from all events back in 2022 before posting a video of himsel f donning a fake beard, wig, flannel shirt, and sunglasses in a bid to 'sneak into the Sphere'.
White has endured no shortage of feuds during his time as UFC president but rarely has that resulted in bands. The UFC chief later revealed Paul's antics had been pointless. "Oscar De La Hoya was there. OK, let's put it that way," said White at the Dana White's Contender Series. "Nobody's banned from the UFC. Listen, that kid knows how to market and do his thing and all that good s***. Jake Paul 's welcome to come to UFC."
Despite the feud with White and the fact that his fight with Chavez Jr clashes with UFC 317, Paul is focused on the task at hand. With just days to go until the showdown, the American is adamant that he will shock the world on fight night. "I'm gonna shock the world once again and prove how good I am, how powerful I am," the 28-year-old said at the launch press conference. "This is his toughest fight to date, and I'm going to embarrass him and make him quit like he always does."
He added: "I don't want any excuses, and when I beat this man all the boxing media, like you guys always do, are going to discredit it. But I'm gonna expose him and I'm gonna embarrass him. He's the embarrassment of Mexico. Mexico doesn't claim him.
"He's going to get exposed on June 28, and then the boxing media will have all these excuses but I don't want them to be having these excuses. They say he's training hard, they say this is the most focused he's ever been, good. As he should be, because people don't realise how good I actually am, and when he feels those first few punches he's going to want to quit and go back to his stool."
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