Jake Paul does it again. On Saturday, the YouTuber turned professional boxer took on UFC star Tyron Woodley in a rematch. Paul beat Woodley in the sixth round after landing a wild knockout at the Amalie Arena in Tampa, Florida. He remains undefeated in his boxing career. Paul previously defeated Woodley via split decision in August.
“Look at what I just did,” Paul said after the match, via ESPN. “Look at the year I just had. Unprecedented. One of the most valuable boxers in this sport. Four fights. Four massive pay-per-views in 13 months. I’ve knocked out every single person that I’ve fought.”
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Paul was originally supposed to fight Tommy Fury, the half-brother of heavyweight champion Tyson Fury. However, Tommy pulled out of the fight due to a broken rib and a bacterial chest infection two weeks before the event, leading to Woodley taking his place. Paul has a 5-0 record since starting his boxing career in January. But the 24-year-old has been hit with some criticism for not taking on competitors who have boxing experience.
“The perception has changed immensely and rightfully so,” Paul said before the match. “When I came into this, I had a lot to prove. People didn’t understand me. They didn’t understand my movement. They thought I was just making a mockery of the sport. And now people really see what I’m doing. They respect me, they respect my work, they respect the business side of it.”
Woodley, 39, has been asking for a rematch since the loss in August. He and Paul have been going back-and-forth for the last few months, but Paul showed him a lot of respect after the fight. “This guy is a legend,” Paul said of Woodley, per Yahoo Sports. “This guy is a legend, don’t take anything away from his career as a UFC champion and respect him for taking this fight on two weeks’ notice … this is a real fighter, a real dog, and a warrior. That’s a tough fighter right there.” The question now is who will Paul face next? Fury is likely next in line once he gets healthy. But Paul called out UFC stars Nate Diaz and Jorge Masvidal after beating Woodley.
