Jake Paul is at it again as he has goaded Dana White into a social media fight. On Saturday, Paul continued with his war of words with the head of the UFC with a list of demands for White to accept. If he does, he’d “retire from boxing and fight Jorge Masvidal in the UFC.”
The list included increasing the minimum fighter pay to $50K, guarantee a 50% revenue share with the fighter and long-term healthcare for all fighters.
Happy new year @danawhite. Here is a real challenge for you…
— Jake Paul (@jakepaul) January 1, 2022
I will immediately retire from boxing and fight Jorge Masvidal in the UFC if you agree to: pic.twitter.com/bJScDVITvL
Whether or not truly believes in fighter welfare and the right to equal pay for combat sports athletes is up to the observer. Certainly, Paul is picking up on all the points that have come up in the ongoing struggle for fighter pay. These are the same talking points that fighters like Georges St-Pierre, Jon Jones and Jorge Masvidal brought up in their own personal fights with the company for more pay.
The challenge from Paul came up days after White stated that that he would voluntarily be tested for cocaine for 10 years if Paul submitted to testing for performance enhancing drugs.
White responded to Paul’s January 1st challenge with his own tirade calling out Paul and his manager, former UFC CFO Nakisa Bidarian. He called Bidarian, the UFC’s ‘accountant’ and a ‘scumbag’ advisor. He also made a personal attack on Bidarian.
.@jakepaul you never responded to the challenge pic.twitter.com/1uzI9mur1T
— danawhite (@danawhite) January 2, 2022
As you might expect, Paul fired back. He used a loop of White stating that he uses cocaine in his response.
The heated rivalry has got the attention of many in the sports/culture media. Depending on what side the media is on, they are siding with White or Paul (just read the headlines). It would seem that this ordeal will end in a big money event somewhere down the road just as with most combat sports rivalries.
Paul taking up the banner for UFC fighters seems to be a tactical strategy. Even if you do not believe him to be earnest , he is disrupting the landscape of the UFC at a time when the company is experiencing the best business its ever had. For Paul, he’s elevating his inflated combat sports persona by tugging on the biggest cape he can find in Dana White and the UFC. He’s poked at White’s ego by going after fighter pay. White has chosen to respond to Paul because he cannot have someone up on him. For the UFC and its fighters, they just stand by the wayside while listening to how Paul is making tons of money and telling the truth about fighter pay. Certainly, this is one of the reasons why fight purses are becoming less and less available to the public.
The good news for observers is that this is entertaining, Will it lead to any fight reforms due to Paul’s push. Unlikely, but the continued talk of the issue should make more people aware.
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