Jake Paul and Daniel Cormier got into a verbal fight at UFC 261 on Saturday. As Paul was making his way to his cageside seats in Jacksonville, the crowd began booing the YouTube star-turned boxer. That was when Paul was seen arguing with Cormier, which occurred after the preliminary fight between Randy Brown and Alex Oliveira.
“I found out what the chant was. It was ‘F— Jake Paul,’” UFC commentator Joe Rogan said per CBS Sports. “That’s what they were all yelling out. How’d that get started? I don’t know.” Cormier responded: “I swear to God, I just saw Jake Paul. I pointed at him and said, ‘Don’t play with me,’ because I’ll smack him in the face. “He’s right there. I’ll slap him. I don’t play those games, Joe.” Cormier then talked over towards where Paul was sitting. The two exchanged words before Cormier was escorted back to the commentary desk.
Videos by PopCulture.com
Jake Paul is in the building at #UFC261. Did you hear Daniel Cormier say on the broadcast that he’d “slap him in the face?”
Well, they had a confrontation. 😬
(🎥 @MMAjunkieJohn) pic.twitter.com/ilwWgIO2rw
— MMA Junkie (@MMAjunkie) April 25, 2021
The verbal altercation stems from Paul calling out Cormier on his brother Logan Paul’s IMPAULSIVE podcast. The message from Jake Paul came after he knocked out Ben Askren via TKO the previous weekend. Shut the f— up, b—,” Paul said. “I’ll beat the f— out of your fat a—, too, just like Stipe did. Cleveland s—. I swear to God. I’ll beat the f— out of Daniel Cormier.”
When Cormier, who retired from UFC in August, heard the comments from Paul. He blew him off. “This dude would never fight me,” Cormier said during an appearance on ESPN. “I would kill him. Why would I ever fight someone like that?” Paul has been in three professional boxing matches and have won them all. The 24-year-old has beaten YouTuber AnEsonGib and NBA legend Nate Robinson before taking down Askren.
UFC President Dana White talked about Paul recently and is not impressed with his boxing resume. “He knocked out an NBA guy that was 40 years old and 30 pounds less than him,” White said at the UFC 261 post-fight press conference. “I don’t even know what to think about the [Ben] Askren thing. The whole thing is f—ing mind-boggling to me, but good for him. Grab that money while you can, kid.” Are fans going to see Paul vs. Cormier boxing match soon? Only time will tell.
