For the past two years, reports of Jake Paul making his MMA debut in the Professional Fighters League (PFL) have been rampant. At the start of 2023, the YouTuber turned boxer announced that he would make his MMA debut in PFL pretty soon. However, it has been 2 years since then, and ‘El Gallo’ has become one of the highest-paid boxers in the world, but there was no substantial news regarding his MMA debut.

However, ahead of his fight against Mike Tyson, PFL chief, Peter Murray confirmed that the 27-year-old will make his MMA debut in 2025. He further added that Paul has expressed his desire to fight a recognizable name in his debut match. While the world is excited and is looking forward to that, we are here to tell you why he should avoid it, if at all possible. Anyone remember CM Punk‘s UFC debut?

Money and Fame

The money and fame that boxing provides are unmatched, especially if you are Jake Paul. In the last few years, the Cleveland, Ohio native has elevated himself to an unfathomable standard in boxing. He is selling out arenas, attracting big names and world champions are challenging him upfront.

According to Draft Kings Network, Paul’s winnings for the Mike Tyson fight reached $40 million. After the fight, The Problem Child’s net worth skyrocketed to a whopping estimated $120 million. According to SportsZion, ‘El Gallo’ has been earning seven figures since the start of his career. He took $2 million in his first fight against Tyron Woodley, $1.2 million against Nate Diaz, $3.2 million for the Tommy Fury fight, and a minimum of $7 million for the matchup against Andre August.

Those are some crazy numbers, and there is no way he could replicate those numbers in the PFL. Moreover, most of the fame in MMA is concentrated in the UFC and PFL may massively limit Paul’s global reach.

Protecting His Record

No matter the opponents he has fought against, El Gallo has a sensational 11-1 record. Out of those 11 victories, 7 have been knockout and the only loss on his resume came against Tommy Fury via a split decision.

Even if most of the opponents he faced weren’t boxers or people in their prime, those were some pretty notable names in the combat sports world. The likes of Tyron Woodley, Nate Diaz, and Anderson Silva are no joke. They have proved themselves in the combat sports world and Jake Paul managed to defeat them all. And let’s not forget the November 15 bout—not many boxers can boast about a one-sided victory against ‘The Baddest Man On The Planet.’

A transition to MMA puts that record in severe danger. Not only the sport is far more physical, but even more complex. Jake Paul is still learning to box and there is very little chance he would be adept at it by the end of this year. There are too many factors involved.

It is no surprise that most of the combat fans pay money to watch Paul lose. However, the day he loses decisively, that desire and marketability may diminish. It will not only lessen his stature but will also put an end to the main selling point of his fight. Something that happened to WWE star CM Punk, and it took him years to get back on the horse.

Chances of facing a defeat like CM Punk

In 2011, after a legendary MITB main event with John Cena, CM Punk left WWE in 2014. Considered one of the best professional wrestlers of all time, Punk joined UFC in 2016 to enormous expectations.

However, what followed after all the celebrations was embarrassing. ‘The Best In The World’ was not the best anymore. In fact, he is considered by many as one of the worst athletes to step inside the UFC octagon. The 46-year-old left the MMA just after two fights with one loss via submission against Mickey Gall and one no-contest against Mike Jackson.

It was obvious to the fans that Punk was not ready for the octagon and his skills did not transfer well here. Both Gall and Jackson outsmarted him, overwhelmed him, and muscled him. Well, Jake Paul might be making the same mistake and could be rushing towards his MMA debut. Even though PFL is far less competitive than the UFC, the talent there can exploit and expose Paul’s weakness easily, hurting his reputation and making him a target of criticism, overshadowing his accomplishments in boxing.

Injury Risks

Injuries in martial arts can be absolutely devastating and brutal and change and alter one’s life completely. Even though it is sad, injuries are a regular part of MMA, be it UFC or PFL because of grappling, leg kicks, and submissions.

Anything can and will happen inside the metal cage. We have seen seasoned fighters like Devin Clark, Conor McGregor, and even Anderson Silva lose their career because of such untimely injuries. Fans still get nightmares about Chris Weidman‘s broken leg in the UFC 261 main event.

Jake Paul is far more susceptible to these injuries, given his lack of training. Furthermore, another fighter will be far more motivated to hurt him as it will put eyes on him and might even earn them that golden UFC contract. However, one thing is clear, if Paul suffers a similar devastating injury, which seems likely, he might not even be able to return to the squared circle again. Is that a risk worth taking?

Do you think Jake Paul should venture into MMA? Let us know your thoughts down below.