UFC boss Dana White has ridiculed the idea he should fight YouTube star Jake Paul.
White, 53, has been trading words with Paul, 25, ever since he ditched his internet fame to pursue a career in boxing. The UFC president has criticised the quality of opponents Paul has faced in the ring, with 'The Problem Child' knocking out former MMA champions Ben Askren and Tyron Woodley at the end of their careers.
Paul has slammed White for the treatment of his fighters, campaigning for him to raise the minimum pay in the promotion to $50,000 and guarantee fighters long-term healthcare once they retire from competition. And whilst taking part in a Q&A with GQ, White touched on a potential fight with Paul.
Do you want to see UFC boss Dana White fight Jake Paul? Let us know your thoughts in the comments section below
"We never got Dana White vs Tito Ortiz. How about Dana White vs Jake Paul? Let's make it a Triller Fight Club / Zuffa Boxing co-promotion for all the marbles," a tweet proposing the fight read. White was once supposed to box former UFC champion Tito Ortiz when the pair had a bitter rivalry, but the fight never took place.
White then said of the clash: "You guys really I'm 53-years-old now, right? When I was going to fight Tito I was 37, I'm 53. Come talk to me when you f****ng idiots are 53 years old and tell me if you want some f****ng 20-year-old kid, I promise you that you do not."
Paul was scheduled to make his sixth professional appearance at Madison Square Garden last weekend, but his fight with Hasim Rahman Jr was cancelled just days before the event due to a weight dispute. White took aim at Paul's Most Valuable Promotions business partner and former UFC employee Nakisa Bidarian after the fight was cancelled, whilst also advising the YouTube star to work with people who "know how to put on fights".
"I think they sold under $1million in tickets and it costs $500,000 to turn the f***ing lights on at MSG," White said. "Not to mention hotel rooms and transportation in New York is very expensive. Just because you were an accountant here, it doesn't mean that you can run a fight promotion company. I think that Jake Paul probably needs to get some different people around him. If he's going to stay in the sport, he needs to be with guys that actually know how to put on fights."
