
USA Today via Reuters
Dec 18, 2021; Tampa, FL, USA; Jake Paul celebrates after knocking out Tyron Woodley (not pictured) at Amalie Arena. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports

USA Today via Reuters
Dec 18, 2021; Tampa, FL, USA; Jake Paul celebrates after knocking out Tyron Woodley (not pictured) at Amalie Arena. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports
Jake Paul has managed to garner a lot of attention in the combat sports world for his work in and out of this ring. Apart from registering stellar performances under the bright lights, Paul has also made waves in the media. ‘The Problem Child’ made a massive impact earlier today when he sent out a counter challenge to Dana White’s initial call-out.
White challenged Paul to agree to enter a testing pool for a duration of two years to be screened for steroids. However, Paul instead came in with his own offer and said he would step in to face Jorge Masvidal in the UFC’s octagon if a few conditions were met. Paul wanted White to increase fighter pay, offer long-term medical care and also to delve into revenue sharing with the fighter.
Happy new year @danawhite. Here is a real challenge for you…
I will immediately retire from boxing and fight Jorge Masvidal in the UFC if you agree to: pic.twitter.com/bJScDVITvL
— Jake Paul (@jakepaul) January 1, 2022
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Jake Paul also capped off his challenge by reminding the MMA world that he was an ally, looking to make a change.
Dana White since took to social media and put Jake Paul’s challenge to bed. He ended up reinstating his initial provocation that Paul should undergo random steroid testing and he, in turn, would undergo random testing for cocaine. White also trolled Jake Paul for merely selling 65k PPV buy’s for his recent scrap against Tyron Woodley.
.@jakepaul you never responded to the challenge pic.twitter.com/1uzI9mur1T
— danawhite (@danawhite) January 2, 2022
Also Read: ‘I Guess He Was Mad’- Kevin Holland Details an Incident Where Nick Diaz Tried to Slap Him
MMA Twitter reacts to Jake Paul’s offer
Several MMA fighters and fans came out and opined on Jake Paul’s challenge to Dana White. Paul’s offer is clearly inclined towards improving things for fighters and many fighters and fans were impressed with Paul’s aggressive approach to reform. In fact, former heavyweight champion Tim Slyvia went on to give a massive shout-out to Paul for the stand he took.
Wow this guy just wow me over. Congrats @jakepaul sincerely former 5x ufc hw champion and the guy that had to pay for another arm surgery cause the ufc didn’t think it was there problem after it happened on there watch. https://t.co/iHTKBCO83b
— Tim Sylvia (@timsylviamma) January 1, 2022
Bigger dub https://t.co/jECJBneZrK
— Ariel Helwani (@arielhelwani) January 1, 2022
I dig it @jakepaul let’s raise the bar pic.twitter.com/lNKS2MCYIl
— ike vallie-flagg (@IKEVF) January 1, 2022
Definitely like this guy @jakepaul https://t.co/gmai9JAEV8
— Gray Maynard (@GrayMaynard) January 2, 2022
do you realize how bad of a person Dana White has to be for Jake Paul to be the hero in their rivalry? https://t.co/GH2trt0ekd
— Tyler Conway (@jtylerconway) January 1, 2022
Jake Paul becoming the people’s champ is not what I envisioned in 2022 but https://t.co/ZNFJAJJkcj
— Dylan Park (@dyllyp) January 1, 2022
However, some fans have also questioned the sincerity attached to Jake Paul’s challenge. There is a subsect of the fanbase who believe Paul is going out of his way to chase clout.
Does Jake Paul actually expect to make any impact in how the UFC treats/pays fighters? Almost certainly not. Is he just pressing the same couple buttons for attention? Yes. Is he still bringing more awareness and attention to it than any of us media people can? Probably.
— Ben Fowlkes (@benfowlkesMMA) January 1, 2022
What gives it away that Paul just does this for the attention is that he doesn't offer real solutions. If he was serious he'd be calling Quarry, Fitch or Le & asking how he can help get the Ali Expansion passed or offering to financially assist anyone contesting UFC contracts. https://t.co/ySif8ZnHoD
— John S. Nash (@heynottheface) January 1, 2022
Am I required to like this guy now https://t.co/BCaTRU6eDD
— Patrick Wyman (@Patrick_Wyman) January 1, 2022
A few other names such as Khamzat Chimaev and Dillon Danis weren’t as impressed and call-out of Paul. Both men have taken every available opportunity to troll ‘The Problem Child’ and would like to put an end to his hype train.
@danawhite let me smash this bullshit boy @jakepaul
— Khamzat Chimaev (@KChimaev) January 1, 2022
if jake paul sleeps me i’ll retire forever
— Dillon Danis (@dillondanis) December 31, 2021
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The saga between Jake Paul and Dana White will continue to garner attention in the days to come. Not to mention, the fact that White went on to address Paul’s counter-offer will serve to spur on this rivalry for quite some time.
Read this story: Top 5 Biggest Rivalries in the History of the UFC
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