Jake Paul has offered to fight under the UFC banner in a wildly unfavourable match-up, should promoter Dana White agree to better terms for fighters.
White made headlines yesterday when he admitted that it may be the right decision for his charge to go and fight YouTube star Paul in his next bout. The UFC boss has generally been uninterested in seeing Paul face MMA fighters in the boxing ring, and has refused to engage in letting his fighters compete.
But he appears to be drawing tired of his lengthy drama with Diaz over the final fight on his promotional deal. The Stockton, California native is one of the biggest stars in the UFC with fans, but has only won once since his famous victory over Conor McGregor at the start of 2016.
And he would be a massive favourite if he were to face Paul within the UFC octagon, given his Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt background and 33 professional fights. The social media star is an accomplished boxer by MMA standards, and was a high level wrestler in high school, but has little to no jiu-jitsu or kickboxing experience.
But that hasn't stopped him calling for a match-up with Diaz, telling White in a tweet: "Dana - I’m happy to be Nate’s last fight in UFC. You know the terms: pay fighters more and give them healthcare. Sweetener: I will fight for free."
When it comes to his terms, Paul has laid out a series of demands on multiple occasions for White to improve conditions for fighters. He has become a staunch advocate for improved fighter pay, as well as demanding healthcare plans for anyone who signs a contract with the promotion.
He laid out a list of demands last year for an increase to the minimum fighter payout, currently just $12,000 or £9,500, and insisted that White sort out healthcare for fighters. He also wanted fighters to be given a 40 per cent share of revenue, where it is now closer to 20.
Would you like to watch Jake Paul fight Nate Diaz in the UFC octagon? Let us know your thoughts in the comments section below!
After initially asking for the minimum payout to go to $50,000, for which he was willing to fight as a symbolic gesture in return, he lowered his demands later. He said in a social media post: "In an effort to bridge the gap, I’m willing to reduce my ask to $40K min, 40 per cent revenue for first five years and long term health care."
White has often chastised Paul for his attacks on MMA fighters, indicating that he must face a legitimate boxer to gain credibility in combat sports. But he appeared to indicate that he likes a bout in the boxing ring between the YouTuber and Diaz.
"Nate’s won one fight in five years," he told The Mac Life yesterday. "So we’re trying to figure this thing out with him. He probably should go on and fight Jake Paul. That’s a fight that makes sense.”
