MMA/UFC

Jake Paul on ‘novice’ Tommy Fury: ‘I wouldn’t even have to actually train for that fight’

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Jake Paul is ready to give Tommy Fury one more chance.

This past December, Paul and Fury were set to face off against one another in the squared circle for Paul’s fifth professional boxing match, when two weeks beforehand, Fury was forced out of the event due to a rib injury. Instead, Paul rematched Tyron Woodley, winning by emphatic knockout, and Fury and Paul figured to meet again down the line. The two were then scheduled for a showdown in August, however, visa issues prevented Fury from being able to comes to the United States, again putting the kibosh on their grudge match.

Now, following Paul’s win over Anderson Silva, Fury is now once again calling for the opportunity to settle their differences inside the ring, and despite the two previous failed attempts, Paul says he’s open to the match, on one condition.

“Yeah, there’s definitely interest. I think if his team is taking the financial risk and putting the event on, then I’m cool with that,” Paul told Ariel Helwani on The MMA Hour. “I just don’t want to take the risk anymore because I think he’s going to back out, again, most likely. But it’s an easy fight for me. Way easier than Anderson.

“The kid’s a novice, he’s never fought anyone good. He’s never even fought an eight round fight. He just doesn’t have the experience like I do, which is crazy to say because he’s been doing it his whole life, but people call him a professional boxer and they respect him as a professional boxer. So I would love to strip that title from him. I wouldn’t even have to actually train for that fight. I would still train because I’m a professional, but I wouldn’t have to train to fight him.”

After Fury withdrew from their second booking, Paul tried to face Hasim Rahman Jr. instead, however, weight issues for Rahman ultimately upended that booking. Instead, Paul faced Silva in October, winning a unanimous decision in the biggest victory of his career. Despite the big win though, Paul acknowledges that he still has doubters, and he believes that the quickest way to dispel them would be to finally beat a true professional boxer instead of a former MMA fighter. But with Fury’s ongoing visa issues that still creates a problem for a potential booking, so Paul says he’s open to doing the event in England if that’s what it takes.

“I think that would be epic,” Paul said. “I love going to those crowds, because they would all boo me and I shut them up all the time. I like playing that role and being the heel. Especially in the U.K.”

But before they go putting the cart in front of the horse, Fury has some business to take care of. The reality television star is currently set to face Paul Bamba in the co-main event of the Floyd Mayweather vs. Deji exhibition match on Nov. 13, in Dubai. There’s also the chance that another opponent jumps in line ahead of Fury; the highly speculated bout with Nate Diaz is still on the table for Paul, and “The Problem Child” has mentioned an interest in trying his own hand against Floyd Mayweather as well. There are plenty of options for Paul, and for the moment, he ready to weight them out while waiting to see what happens with Fury.

“I guess we have to go to the drawing board,” Paul said. “I haven’t really had a chance to decompress and see if there’s other fighters calling me out. But definitely a lot of options on the table, and I’m just going to do what makes the most sense and makes the most hype. So back to the drawing board, I guess.”

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