Jake Paul has claimed he’s become a victim of TKO Group, the parent company behind UFC and WWE. ‘The Problem Child’ alleges that the company has barred him from attending his brother Logan Paul’s WWE matches. In a recent interview with Smash Talk alongside Chael Sonnen and Ian Parker, ‘El Gallo’ opened up about how he’s dealing with his ongoing feud with Dana White and the UFC.
“I don’t take any beefs too seriously,” Paul said. “I think it’s definitely in the name of entertainment. However, there is truth in it, and there are certain facts that I would like to see pushed through. Like the UFC fighter minimum pay being $12,000 and that needs to rise. So there [are] all these like things in it that are serious. But from my side, I’m just having fun.
“And the fact that one of the biggest organizations in the world, the TKO Group, has this major beef with me. They won’t even let me be in my brother’s WWE matches because they hate me so much. And so it’s pretty wild, how much under their skin we are. And to me, it’s just been a fun journey. I enjoy s—t talk. I like [it] when people make fun of me.
“I’m easy to make fun of. And I’m able to make fun of myself. So, the beef to me is just fun and entertaining for everybody.”
Jake Paul says the company that owns the UFC & WWE (TKO Group Holdings) won’t allow him to attend and watch his brother Logan Paul compete. 😳 @IanParkerMMA @ChaelSonnen @JakePaul YouTube: youtu.be/Gh1lpoLAwcM?si… Spotify: open.spotify.com/episode/5ey9gx…
Jake Paul and Dana White have been at odds for years. As Paul noted, he has consistently pushed for better fighter pay in the UFC. White, meanwhile, has frequently downplayed Paul’s boxing career while taking shots at the former Disney star in interviews and across social media.
Most Valuable Promotions, co-founded by Paul, has now become a direct competitor to the UFC as well. MVP is set to host the MVP MMA card, featuring former UFC bantamweight champion Ronda Rousey and Gina Carano on May 16 inside the Intuit Dome in Inglewood, California. He recently claimed that the May 16 card is better than UFC’s historic White House card, set for June 14 at the White House Lawn.
As for his brother’s WWE appearances, Jake Paul claims that TKO Group Holdings no longer allows him to attend Logan Paul’s matches. However, he has previously appeared inside a WWE ring. At the WWE Crown Jewel 2022 in Saudi Arabia, Jake walked out to his song ‘It’s Everyday Bro’ during Logan Paul’s Undisputed WWE Universal Championship match against Roman Reigns.
Jake even got involved in the action by confronting The Usos, although Logan ultimately came up short in the match. In any case, though, TKO banning Jake Paul, one of their competitors, makes sense because of the things Paul has been saying.
Jake Paul wants to give fighters another place to go besides the UFC
Jake Paul is out to change the landscape of MMA. He recently revealed that he wants to give fighters another place to go besides the UFC.
“It’s needed. It’s very, very needed in the sport,” Paul said. “I think it’s been a monopoly for so long, run by the UFC, and the fighters haven’t had another place to go where they get the exposure and more pay.”
Paul believes fighters are already looking for bigger opportunities outside MMA promotions because of the financial differences between boxing and the UFC.
“That’s why a lot of the UFC guys want to box, because they can get 10, 15, 20 million dollars for a fight versus $1.5 million for being the champion.”
He also pointed to Francis Ngannou as an example for other fighters to follow.
“Hopefully, UFC fighters can start to follow the path of Francis Ngannou.
“So, hopefully, fighters can realize they need to fight their way out of their UFC contract and then find more lucrative opportunities elsewhere.”
On one hand, Jake Paul wants to poach UFC fighters. And on the other hand, he is surprised that the TKO won’t allow him to attend WWE events. But in any case, the fighters are benefiting from it, so it’s a good thing.
