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Following his knockout win over Ben Askren, YouTube star Jake Paul is currently the talk of the combat sports world.
The big question now is who Jake Paul will fight next, and will it be another UFC star?
While it’s unlikely that we’ll see The Problem Child in the UFC’s Octagon any time soon, there’s definitely a possibility that another UFC fighter could step into the boxing ring to face him.
So with that in mind, here are five UFC stars who could actually rough up Jake Paul inside the boxing ring.
#1 Jorge Masvidal
Jorge Masvidal is currently set to fight for UFC gold this weekend when he faces off with Kamaru Usman for the UFC Welterweight title.
Gamebred is undoubtedly a well-rounded mixed martial artist, but he’s also one of the best boxers in the UFC. And that’s why he could comfortably piece up Jake Paul in a boxing match.
Sure, Paul would have a size advantage over Masvidal, who usually fights at 170lbs and has fought as low as 155lbs before.
But realistically, this wouldn’t matter a lick if the two men faced off in the squared circle.
Despite being most famous for his flying knee, Masvidal carries brutal knockout power in his punches, as we saw when he knocked out Darren Till in 2019.
And more to the point, Gamebred is remarkably skilled from a technical perspective when it comes to boxing in the UFC.
Add in his bad attitude and the fact that he’s also an experienced street fighter, and it’s pretty clear that a relative novice like Jake Paul would simply stand no chance against him.
#2 UFC Middleweight champion Israel Adesanya
Reigning UFC Middleweight champion Israel Adesanya is one of the most accomplished strikers in the UFC today and in the promotion’s history too.
The Last Stylebender entered the UFC as a massively credentialed kickboxer, with an incredible record of 75 wins and just five losses.
And he also fought briefly as a professional boxer, putting together a record of 5-1 in just over a year’s worth of action.
But it’s in the UFC where we’ve seen him deploy the kind of striking that would simply demolish a fighter as crude as Jake Paul.
Sure, Paul has some power in his hands. But so did Paulo Costa, an undefeated physical beast who’d been smashing everyone in front of him in the UFC.
However, when he fought Adesanya, The Last Stylebender made the Brazilian look like a rank amateur, using movement and timing to throw him off with ease.
And when the time came to finish him, Adesanya did just that, dropping him with a nasty left hand to the temple.
When you consider that Costa had never really been hurt in his UFC career, let alone knocked out, it becomes clear quite how good of a striker Adesanya is.
There’s absolutely no question he’d simply dismantle Jake Paul in the boxing ring and make it look easy.
#3 Robert Whittaker
Former UFC Middleweight champion Robert Whittaker was knocked out in 2019 by Israel Adesanya, but that loss was his only one since he moved to 185lbs in 2014.
And ignoring that loss, it’s easy to see that The Reaper is one of the very best strikers in the UFC.
Sure, Whittaker is capable of using kicks, and we’ve seen him knock opponents out with shins to the head before. But for the most part, the Australian prefers to use his hands.
And most of the time, he uses them to great effect. Whittaker has shown an ability to fight behind a jab on numerous occasions. He chains his punches together wonderfully and he also has a tremendous grasp of timing.
To add to this, Whittaker wouldn’t likely be worried about Jake Paul’s power, too. He’s fought opponents who hit much harder than The Problem Child and has taken some insane punishment over the years, somehow absorbing shots from the likes of Darren Till and Yoel Romero.
Essentially, Whittaker is just too good to lose to a novice like The Problem Child. He’d destroy him comfortably in the ring or the Octagon.
#4 Tyron Woodley
One UFC fighter who has been spoken of as a potential opponent for Jake Paul is former UFC Welterweight champion, Tyron Woodley.
It’s quite obvious why this fight would make sense.
After four losses in a row, The Chosen One is probably coming towards the end of his UFC career. And at the age of 39, nobody would really be surprised to see him depart the promotion in the near future.
Woodley is also a training partner and close friend of Ben Askren, who, of course, fell to defeat at the hands of Paul this past weekend.
Add in the fact that Woodley is primarily known for his wrestling game, and The Problem Child may see him as the perfect foe.
However, that would be a mistake.
Sure, Woodley is past his best now, but it’s not like he’s been losing to scrubs. Kamaru Usman is the current UFC Welterweight kingpin, while Colby Covington, Gilbert Burns, and Vicente Luque are all amongst the best in the world.
And unlike Askren, Woodley does possess a highly dangerous striking game. We’ve seen him use his hands to devastating effect in the UFC over the years, knocking out the likes of Robbie Lawler and Josh Koscheck.
If Paul were to expect an easy payday here, he’d be hugely wrong. The likelihood is that even a past-his-prime Woodley would comfortably deal with him inside the boxing ring – in brutal fashion, too.
#5 Conor McGregor
Given his status as the UFC’s biggest-ever star, Conor McGregor would obviously be the most favorable opponent for Jake Paul in terms of the YouTube star looking to draw eyeballs.
Unfortunately for Paul, he’d also be a terrible stylistic match that would probably see The Problem Child knocked unconscious.
Sure, McGregor is substantially smaller than Paul. He stands at 5’9,” and while he’s fought at 170lbs, his natural weight class is probably the 155lbs division.
Paul, meanwhile, stands at 6’1” and has been fighting in the Cruiserweight division, with a limit of 200lbs.
Despite this, there can be no question that McGregor is the better boxer.
Not only has he shown off his skills inside the UFC on multiple occasions – knocking out the likes of Dustin Poirier, Jose Aldo and Eddie Alvarez with some beautiful combinations – but he also went 10 rounds with Floyd Mayweather in the boxing ring in 2017.
And while The Notorious One was eventually outclassed by Mayweather, Jake Paul is certainly no ‘Money.' Mayweather is arguably the greatest boxer of all time. Paul is basically a novice.
So with all things considered, the outcome of this fight would be no question. McGregor would win and win comfortably.
