Boxing’s ‘Problem Child’ Jake Paul has hinted that he would be willing to move to MMA to take on the undefeated Khabib Nurmagomedov
Khabib Nurmagomedov may have sidestepped into fight promoter and coaching now that he has moved away from professional competition, but that hasn’t stopped former Disney star-turned-professional prizefighter Jake Paul from calling for a money-spinning showdown with the Russian star.
Controversial YouTuber Paul has become a legitimate combat sports commodity since he moved into the fight game. However, the YouTuber has drawn criticism for not yet fighting a traditional boxer throughout the early stages of his blossoming boxing career – having beaten a pair of MMA fighters more known for their grappling prowess than their striking acumen in his most recent fights.
But if he wants to really move outside of his comfort zone, Paul says that he has identified the best route to do so: an MMA fight against one of the sport’s greatest competitors.
“I would fight Khabib in MMA if they wanted to make that offer,” Paul told Ariel Helwani on an episode of The MMA Hour.
“That would be exciting. Like, that would excite me – and especially if I had more time to train.”
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Khabib has so far resisted the urge to step back into active competition after first announcing his retirement from mixed martial arts shortly after defending the UFC lightweight title against Justin Gaethje in October 2020.
