When Jake Paul was first called out for a boxing match by British YouTuber KSI, he had minimal interest in the sport.
The American YouTube sensation was one of the most famous social media stars in the world in early 2018 when the Brit took to the mic after his TKO win over Joe Weller to declare war on both he and his brother Logan. But the younger Paul was more interested in MMA, declaring that any fight between the pair would only be "real" if it happened in the cage.
Growing up a fan of Anderson Silva and Chael Sonnen in the UFC, the Pauls had toyed with fighting in the past. Logan was a highly-ranked high school wrestler, while Jake also competed at an impressive level. In 2017, the younger brother took on AJ Agazarm in a sparring session inside the cage, saying that a bucket list item had always been to fight a UFC-calibre athlete.
