MMA Fighter Clay Collard Hits Out at Jake Paul for Being an ‘Embarrassment to the Sport of Boxing’

Published 02/04/2021, 12:40 AM EST

MMA fighter Clay Collard came out and fired shots at Jake Paul over his upcoming boxing bout that was announced. Collard pulled no punches when airing out criticism over Paul’s bout that goes down in April against Ben Askren. Chiefly, the PFL fighter believed that his existence in the upper echelon of the sport of boxing is an ‘embarrassment’.

Clay Collard has a unique perspective on the matter as he made the move to actively pursue a career in professional boxing. He’s been lauded for his efforts and the success he’s managed to pick up in a relatively short amount of time. He made the move in 2017 and accrued a 9-3-3 record this far.

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Clay Collard hits out at Jake Paul

Clay Collard left no stone unturned when dealing with the fall-out of having Jake Paul compete at the highest level. He felt that Jake and his brother Logan Paul were simply swiping off the shine from boxers who have spent a lifetime training. Furthermore, from his standpoint, having a large fan-following shouldn’t be enough to dictate high-profile bouts in the sport.

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“I don’t even want to talk about it, bro,” Collard told MMA Junkie. “It’s embarrassing to me. That’s stupid to me. Jake Paul, I mean he doesn’t box boxers. It’s all fake to me. They’re not fighters, man, and shame on Ben Askren for taking the fight. And Ben Askren might get beat up because he’s the guy (who) don’t know how to box at all. So, I don’t know, man. It’s just embarrassing to me. Jake Paul should not be in combat sports. Go back to making YouTube videos, bro.

“I said it back when (the Paul brothers) first started fighting. People have been working their entire lives to get on those big shows and get opportunities like that, and just because this guy has a little bit of a following, he just gets tossed in there and gets to fight on these shows and fight these guys, and I just think it’s embarrassing for the sport.”

Regardless of the flak that Paul has been getting, every move he makes seems to garner a meaningful amount of buzz. He’s finally boxing someone with legitimate experience in the realm of combat sports. He’s scrapped against a fellow YouTuber and NBA star thus far, and Ben Askren is sure to provide an interesting look.

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What do you make of Collard’s comments?

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Written by:

Darryl Pinto is a senior MMA writer at EssentiallySports. He is currently pursuing his graduate degree in Mass Media (with a specialization in Journalism) out of Xavier’s College and has a year's experience in his current role. Darryl specializes in predictions, reporting, and covering UFC events live.

MMA Fighter Clay Collard Hits Out at Jake Paul for Being an ‘Embarrassment to the Sport of Boxing’

Clay Collard hits out at Jake Paul

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