- Jake Paul has signed a multi-fight, multi-year deal with the Professional Fighters League (PFL).
- The former Disney actor owns a 6-0 professional boxing record with 4 knockouts.
- Paul has opened as an underdog to Nate Diaz in a proposed two-fight challenge in boxing and MMA.
Jake Paul is taking on another challenge.
The former Disney actor turned YouTube star and celebrity boxer is entering another arena of fighting.
Paul announced on Thursday that he has signed to join the Professional Fighters League.
Signed, Sealed, Delivered. Welcome to the Professional Fighters League @jakepaul pic.twitter.com/pgMDUprK6S
— PFL (@PFLMMA) January 5, 2023
Terms of the contract were not revealed but PFL co-founder Donn Davis said Jake Paul has inked a multi-fight, multi-year deal.
In a statement, Paul said:
Jake Paul Defeats Anderson Silva via Unanimous Decision
Jake Paul Defeats Anderson Silva With Unanimous Decision in Eight-Round Fight https://t.co/ghKmVDRCl1
— HYPEBEAST (@HYPEBEAST) October 30, 2022
Paul is undefeated as a professional boxer with a record of 6-0 with 4 knockouts. The 25-year-old, however, has fought four retired MMA fighters, a retired NBA player, and a fellow YouTube artist in his six-bout professional boxing career. The Problem Child recently went the 8-round distance against 47-year-old former UFC middleweight champion Anderson Silva, beating him via unanimous decision after 8 rounds.
Prior to his win against Silva, Paul defeated another former UFC champion Tyron Woodley in back-to-back bouts in 2021. Jake barely beat Woodley in their first bout but went on to knock out the former UFC welterweight champion in their rematch. One bout before that, Paul also knocked out former MMA fighter Ben Asken and former NBA slam dunk champion Nate Robinson. Jake also stopped fellow YouTube artist AnEsonGib in his pro debut in 2020.
No word on when he will make his MMA debut but what is certain is that he will not be fighting against the PFL’s regular-season roster. Rather, Paul signed up for the new “Pay-per-view Super Fight Division” where the PFL and athletes have a 50-50 share in PPV revenues.
Jake Paul Offers Nate Diaz a Two-Fight Deal
Jake Paul announced on social he will be fighting in the PFL and that he offered Nate Diaz a two-fight deal.
The offer includes a boxing match, then six months later a fight in the PFL. pic.twitter.com/tF3c3Oxbzm
— ESPN MMA (@espnmma) January 5, 2023
Shortly after signing with the PFL, Jake Paul then told The New York Times that he has offered former UFC superstar Nate Diaz a two-fight deal. Under Paul’s proposal, he and Diaz would first fight in a boxing match, and then six months later, they will run it back in the PFL Smart Cage. Paul and Diaz have been going back and forth on social media about boxing each other.
Diaz has yet to respond to Jake Paul’s challenge. However, according to online sportsbook BetOnline, the Stockton fighter is the -300 betting favorite in a boxing match and a massive -1000 chalk if they fight inside an MMA cage. Paul meanwhile has opened as the +240 underdog in a boxing fight versus Diaz and +550 in an MMA match.
The 37-year-old Diaz recently fought out his UFC contract by defeating Tony Ferguson at UFC 279 last September 10, 2022, ending his UFC career with a Performance of the Night bonus. Diaz was the UFC’s TUF 5 tournament winner and his 16 post-fight bonuses are the third-most by any fighter in UFC history.
