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Former UFC Light Heavyweight Champion Ropes In Tommy Fury And Nate Diaz While Branding Jake Paul’s Knockouts A “Setup”

Published 12/21/2023, 10:39 PM EST

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Jake Paul can be seen more or less as the knockout machine in the influencer-boxing scene. Of his 8 victories, 5 of them have come via knockouts. However, Quinton Jackson, a former UFC champion seemed to suggest that something might be fishy about these accolades.

On the 15th of December, ‘Problem Child’ stopped his opponent Andre August prematurely, in a first-round stoppage. After the fight, a frenzy ensued in the boxing community, and most of them were impressed with his groundbreaking victory. However, now, Jackson insinuates that this victory and other knockout wins that Paul secured could be a matter of fixing.

Are Jake Paul’s KO victories a ‘setup’?

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In the wake of his August victory, Paul was discussed on the Thiccc Boy podcast, hosted by former MMA fighter Brendan Schaub. Talking about the fight, Schaub addressed the concerns of many Jake Paul critics. Lately, there is a certain set of folks who believe that many of Paul’s knockouts have rather been staged than earned. In response, ‘Rampage’, who says he’s a Paul fan, agreed with the theory. He noted, “Just to be honest, I’m a fighter, but all his knockouts kinda look like setup. Like, he’s making a lot of money now, right? What if he’s just telling these guys, I’ll give you extra $2 million.”

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However, it’s not like Paul has won all his fights via a knockout to support Rampage’s claim. In fact, the fighter registered his career’s first loss this year against Tommy Fury. Citing the fight in his argument, Schaub disagreed with Quinton Jackson. He said, “Then what did he pay Tommy Fury? Tommy Fury beat him.” In response, the latter suggested that Paul could not buy Fury, because he has more clout than Paul. But, does he?

Then, what about Nate Diaz, a fighter who lost to Jake Paul via a unanimous decision? Would a veteran of the UFC like Diaz give up his chance at victory for $2 million? Rampage countered the question with two points. One, “Nate Diaz is a good striker but he’s not a good boxer.” Second, Diaz did not lose via knockout. So, reiterating his claims, Rampage noted that Jake Paul’s certain victories, especially those through knockout could be fixed.

While Rampage’s claims are mere speculation, Paul is moving ahead to make his record more robust. He’s now eyeing a fight against another professional fighter.

What’s next for Jake Paul?

At the Andre August post-fight press conference, a journalist inquired if he would choose the likes of KSI for his next fight or a professional fighter, namely, Viddal Riley. Liking the idea of the latter, the fighter noted, “Yeah, for sure, that can happen. That’d be interesting. And he [Riley] has a name, a profile. And that’s something that excites me for sure.” 

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In response, on his TikTok, Riley too  seemed interested. He said, “If that’s his aspirations, mine are the same. Then, and we both weighing 200 pounds, then yes… that fight could happen down the line.”

It cannot be disputed that Jake Paul stands at the peak of the influencer boxing scene. This year alone, he’s undertaken three lucrative fights, garnering immense fame for them.

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Do you think Rampage’s claim about Jake Paul’s KO victories being staged has any substance to it? Let us know in the comments section below.

Watch This Story: Most Bizarre Things Jake Paul Has Done on Camera: Stealing Floyd Mayweather’s Hat, Sneaking Into the White House, and More

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Written by:

Mohammed Shafiulla

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As Manny Pacquiao once said, “Boxing is not about your feelings. It’s about performance.” Through my writing, I hope to bring this performance closer to boxing fans.
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Edited by:

Arijit Saha