Jake Paul believes that Dana White is trying to avoid making a fight between him and Conor McGregor due to fears he would win, even in MMA.
The YouTuber-turned-boxer has long pushed for a fight with the legendary former two-weight UFC champion, and now claims that he would be willing to come into the Irishman's sport to make it happen. But White isn't keen on the idea, telling the social media star's older brother Logan that he feels Jake should be fighting people in his own weight class.
McGregor is currently weighing around 190lb, which is similar to Paul's fight weight, but is known for fighting at 155lb, or lightweight in MMA, and even won his first world title at 145lb, which is featherweight in the octagon. Paul believes that there is a way they could meet at 175lb, saying he would be willing to make the massive cut in order to seal the fight.
"Not as of yet," Paul told TMZ Sports when asked if he had heard from White or the UFC about a potential fight. "Dana keeps going on interviews, he went on my brother's podcast and he seems to be ducking the whole entire thing. He doesn't realise that Conor and I weigh the exact same right now, Conor is walking around at 190 - and I'm willing to do the fight in MMA."
Paul has offered to fight in the UFC under the condition that minimum payouts for fighters come up from $12,000 to show and $12,000 to win to a flat $50,000. He is willing to put his purse on the line to make the change a reality, adding that "this is about the fighters".
"This is about making a change," Paul insisted. "That's what Conor hasn't ever done, he's always been selfish. The fighter pay needs to increase so I've said that if I win, then Dana has to increase the minimum fighter pay. If I lose then they can take the money and do whatever.
"But I know I can beat Conor, people think 'this kid's crazy' and yeah, I am, no s***, that's how I've gotten this far because I'm crazy and I believe in myself and Conor is on a downhill spiral, his limbs are all broken, in the stand-up game I'm knocking him out first round."
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White was asked during an appearance on the Impaulsive podcast if the fight could happen, and replied: "Probably not. I'm never closed off to anything. I used to say that about things but I don't anymore.
"I don't hate the kid. He came out and said, 'Now you love me'... well I never said that but I don't hate him. He's a young kid out there trying to make some money and I don't fault anyone for that.
"We have the most successful combat sports business of all time; what we do is completely different to what him and his brother [Logan] are doing."
