“You’re tanking, you can’t sell pay-per-views. Nate Diaz, Conor McGregor, Mike Tyson, these are all superstars. And you’re not….” Harsh words from Dana White back in 2022, but Jake Paul took them as fuel. Fast forward, Nate Diaz fell to the canvas in the fifth round, and Jake Paul walked away with a decision win in 2023. A fight with Conor McGregor is still pending, but in November 2024, Jake Paul didn’t just defeat Mike Tyson; he headlined a bout that drew 108 million live viewers on Netflix. Now, with another challenge from Dana White looming, can Jake Paul rise to the occasion once again?

The tension between Dana White and Jake Paul has been simmering ever since the then-23-year-old Jake Paul transitioned from YouTube fame to chasing boxing greatness five years ago. And now, with just two days remaining until his clash with Julio Cesar Chavez Jr., the spotlight is on El Gallo once more. A win would mark his sixth consecutive victory since his sole career loss to Tommy Fury in 2023. But before stepping into the ring, the 28-year-old is setting the record straight, revealing what might give him that final push to defeat the former WBC middleweight champion.

Words that hurt or words that work? Jake Paul’s response to Dana White

Just a few hours ago, ESPN shared a video on YouTube featuring Jake Paul’s appearance on The Pat McAfee Show, where he spoke with hosts Pat McAfee and A.J. Hawk ahead of his Saturday bout against Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. During the interview, McAfee asked, “Jake, I’m guessing you don’t give a sh-t about what people on Twitter are saying about your career, but when it comes to your opponent, do you think at this point do people still underestimate you?” Jake Paul responded confidently: “I think my opponents take me very, very seriously. I think that the people on Twitter and the regular fans genuinely think that my fights are rigged, right? Dana White started this rumor. He started this rumor that I was on steroids, this battle and warfare, back-and-forth between us, too.”

Early in Paul’s boxing journey, he frequently criticized Dana White and the UFC, especially on issues like fighter pay. The Problem Child even accused the UFC Prez of cocaine use, though he never provided any evidence. At one point, Jake Paul even challenged White to offer him a UFC fight in exchange for him ending his boxing career. In response, White fired back with a wild counter-offer, turning the feud into a public spectacle. But now, Jake Paul says he doesn’t view these challenges as threats anymore.

“I take it as a compliment,” he said, “because people genuinely can’t even believe the fact that I’ve beaten some of the names that I have beaten. And they chalk it up to that. ‘It has to be fake and that he paid these people millions and millions of dollars to take dives.’ So I find it flattering, but at the end the day, my opponents have to take me seriously, and they know what I am capable of.”

McAfee then noted, “The rigging fight thing piss you off, I assume? Obviously that is like the worst thing that could go for your credibility.” Jake Paul agreed, partially. “Yes and no,” he said. “This is just one example of how dumb people are in believing these types of things.” But that wasn’t the only time Jake Paul had something to say about Dana White recently.

Jake Paul calls out Dana White for making ‘ludicrous’ accusations

UFC CEO Dana White has long been a vocal critic of Jake Paul’s entry into combat sports. From the beginning, White has taken shots at the Cleveland native, often accusing him of carefully selecting past-their-prime MMA and boxing veterans as opponents, fighters Jake Paul is likely to beat. This stance mirrors what many of Paul’s detractors believe, fueling a persistent narrative that his boxing career lacks legitimacy.

However, during a recent appearance on The Iced Coffee Hour, the 28-year-old addressed some of White’s most serious and, in his words, “ludicrous” accusations. “Rigged fights and steroids, I think is, probably the most ludicrous ones,” the 11-1 boxer said. “Dana White started both of those rumors. After I beat Mike Tyson, the amount of people saying, ‘This is rigged.’ … The average person doesn’t understand boxing… That’s definitely the number one [least deserving criticism].”

Despite the noise, Jake Paul appears unfazed and is focused on stacking up wins to silence his critics. With that in mind, who do you think Jake Paul should fight next?