Perhaps everything eventually comes to an end. “Clout chasing and ego have no age limit. Imagine being worth $500 million, married with kids, and posting these cringe videos, using UFC accounts to get people to watch your slap party online.” Fans might recall these were Jake Paul‘s sharp words once aimed at Dana White. The feud between the YouTuber-turned-boxer and the UFC president has been long-standing and well-documented. However, like most things in combat sports and life, maybe even this bitter rivalry has run its course. Or is it still too early to say?

There are now multiple reports suggesting that the upcoming Riyadh Season event will have a new promoter, possibly excluding Dana White. Initial buzz indicated that the Canelo vs. Crawford super fight would mark the debut of the newly formed TKO Boxing promotion. But in a recent update, Turki Alalshikh named Sela as the promoter of the bout, tentatively set for September 13. As full details continue to unfold, Jake Paul shared his candid take on Dana White’s role in all of this. And it might just surprise some fans.

Jake Paul weighs in on Dana White’s boxing venture

When Ariel Helwani asked, “So the next fight for Canelo is this Crawford fight, but now we’re trying to figure out what’s going on with who’s promoting it. Turki tweeted that Sela is now promoting it and the date changed. So what do you make of what’s happening here? Do you have any sort of insight into it?” Jake Paul responded with a question of his own: “Is Dana still involved?”

Though he admitted he wasn’t fully in the loop, Paul added, “Because I think it’s—I mean, if he is, it’s the biggest W on his part. He’s not putting up any money. He’s the promoter. He’s involved, getting a percentage of the cuts. His name is attached to it—all this stuff. So if that’s the case, it’s pretty crazy. A big win for Dana.” The discussion gained momentum when Ariel Helwani brought up the much-debated Canelo fight.

Months ago, as the buzz around a Canelo-Crawford showdown grew, reports surfaced that Jake Paul might face Canelo next. However, that speculation fizzled quickly, and Canelo instead committed to a four-fight deal with Riyadh Season.  Paul, never one to hold back, claimed he would ‘easily beat’ Canelo and criticized the Mexican star’s recent fight against William Scull. Helwani then pointed to an update from Turki Alalshikh and ‘The Ring Magazine,’ confirming that Sela will promote the Canelo Alvarez vs. Terence Crawford fight.

Adopting a different tone toward someone he’s had a long-standing feud with may still come as a surprise to many.

A back-and-forth saga

It’s been a few years since the Jake Paul-Dana White feud emerged. A frequent point of contention Paul raised was the UFC’s fighter pay structure. The YouTuber-turned-boxer often called out how severely underpaid its athletes are. In turn, White and others often dismissed Paul’s boxing career. They pointed out that his opponents were mostly past-their-prime fighters like Tyron Woodley and Anderson Silva.

So when Paul recently mocked Dana White for a bizarre Power Slap promo, it seemed par for the course. But White got his jab in too when a reporter brought up the failed Paul-Canelo matchup. Referring to Canelo’s decision to sign with Riyadh Season, White said, “They control the sport of boxing right now. I don’t think it’s hard for them to steal anybody from anybody.” Though not fully briefed on the details, he emphasized, “Totally different levels there!”

Now, in what feels like a rare moment of mutual acknowledgment, Jake Paul is giving credit to Dana White, who, despite their beef, has occasionally praised Paul’s promotional skills and ability to draw massive audiences.

Once Canelo’s commitment to Riyadh Season concludes, could a future matchup with Jake Paul still be on the table?