Paddy Pimblett has insisted Jake Paul's fights are fixed after watching footage of his latest win over Anderson Silva.
The UFC star, who returns to the octagon against Jared Gordon next month, believes Paul's win over Tyron Woodley in December was legitimate, but wasn't convinced by his victory over Silva last month. He argues there is footage showing Paul's knockdown punch in the dying seconds didn't even land, indicating to him that the fight was rigged.
Speaking on MOLA TV's Pub Talk, Pimblett explained he is not a fan of YouTube boxing, except for Paul who he feels takes the sport seriously. However, that doesn't mean that he believes in the fights being legitimate, joining a number of conspiracy theorists who claim that Paul's bouts are fixed.
"I give Jake Paul his due now he's training that much he probably could beat some professional boxers," Pimblett said. "Because he's got that much money, he's got unlimited funds and he hasn't got to do anything else, he hasn't got to go and do a job all he's got to do is box.
"He gets the best coaches in, the best nutritionists in and stuff like that, Jake Paul is actually not that bad now, even though I think his fights are fixed." And asked by host Alan Brazil if he really feels that the fights are rigged, Pimblett doubled down, adding: "Yeah, but I don't think the Tyron Woodley knockout was fixed.
"When you get knocked out like that and you land face first, if you're not unconscious you'd go [put your arms out], you can't help it that's a human reaction. I seen an angle of a punch he hit Anderson Silva with the other day where he sat down and he didn't even hit him."
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Paul has denied any allegations of fixing fights, particularly last year when Dillon Danis began a rumour that he had forced Woodley to sign a "no knockout clause" for their first bout. He ended up putting an extra clause encouraging a stoppage into their rematch contract to dispel the reports.
"Look, it’s a bunch of losers trying to make s*** up to get in the headlines and to get reporters to ask about that exact question and put their name into the mix so they can get a little bit of clout," Paul said. “Having a ‘no knockout clause’ in a contract – I’ve never heard of that. It’s highly illegal, I would be in jail.
"That’s like rigging a fight. I would be in prison if that was a real thing. It’s all nonsense, it’s all bulls*** and they got exactly what they wanted out of it, which was for people to mention their name."
Click here to watch the full episode of Pub Talk with UFC star Paddy Pimblett
