5 UFC stars who should challenge Jake Paul

Jake Paul and former UFC welterweight champion Tyron Woodley's rivalry was firmly put to bed by the brutal right hand KO finish from 'The Problem Child' in their second bout. The question now looms as to who should take on the 5-0 pro boxer next.

If Jake Paul chooses to continue down the route of facing increasingly high-level MMA fighters, the next step would be to face a UFC fighter in their prime.

A number of top-ranked fighters have called Jake Paul out over the past year. The only issue is that they would have to fight out their contracts with the UFC first. For those willing to do so, they could likely secure a huge fight purse to face 'The Problem Child', although it may well jeopardize their future with the UFC.

In the following list, we will look at five fighters who should consider challenging Jake Paul after fighting out their contract with the UFC.

#5. Kamaru Usman - UFC welterweight

In what may be a somewhat left-field pick, we go with UFC welterweight champion Kamaru Usman. 'The Nigerian Nightmare' is in great form in the UFC right now, having picked up three dominant title defense victories in 2021.

However, the issue is that he is beginning to lap the opposition. He has already defeated top contenders Colby Covington and Jorge Masvidal twice, as well as having singular wins over the likes of Leon Edwards and Gilbert Burns.

Usman has repeatedly hinted at a potential crossover into boxing to take on Saul 'Canelo' Alvarez. However, should he wish to test the waters first, a bout with Jake Paul would generate high pay-per-view buys and give him some time to acclimatize to the world of boxing.

#4. Dustin Poirier - UFC lightweight

Dustin Poirier recently came up short in his second shot at the UFC lightweight title. The current champion, Charles Oliveira, locked in a rear-naked choke submission to finish 'The Diamond' in round 3 at UFC 269.

In a recent interview with Ariel Helwani on The MMA Hour, Poirier confessed that this may have been his last shot at the UFC belt. He appeared more interested in a high-profile money fight than working his way back to a shot at the belt as well.

If this is Poirier's mentality now, then he could play out his contract with fights against the likes of Nate Diaz, Conor McGregor, and Tony Ferguson. The hype he would generate off having fought such notable names as these would likely provide enough of an incentive for Jake Paul to take a boxing match with him.

Poirier would be noticeably smaller than Jake Paul, but his boxing skills are incredibly high level. Furthermore, he has already stated that a move up to welterweight is near inevitable.

#3. Conor McGregor - UFC lightweight/welterweight

Conor McGregor's UFC career now appears to be firmly on the decline. The former double champ has had only one win since 2016, and was finished twice by Dustin Poirier in 2021.

However, the 'Notorious' Irishman still retains much of the name value that saw him become one of the most globally recognized sports stars in the world. Should he have another unsuccessful year of MMA in 2022, he might be tempted to cross back over to boxing for a huge pay-per-view event against Jake Paul.

McGregor, of course, previously competed in the boxing ring against a legend of the sport in Floyd Mayweather. The event was hugely lucrative, despite McGregor ultimately coming up short.

Depending on how next year plays out, a Conor McGregor vs. Jake Paul boxing match does not seem beyond the realms of possibility.

#2. Jorge Masvidal - UFC welterweight

Jorge Masvidal has been constantly hinting at a switch to boxing from the UFC over the past few years. He has even gone so far as to state that a bout with Saul 'Canelo' Alvarez appeals to him.

There seems very little chance that combat sports fans will ever see Jorge Masvidal vs. Canelo Alvarez. However, Jorge Masvidal vs. Jake Paul would appear to be much more likely.

Following Jake Paul's KO stoppage over Tyron Woodley, 'Gamebred' stated that Jake Paul cannot afford the fight purse to bring him over to boxing from the UFC.

Check out Masvidal's video here:

However, Masvidal has since stated that if Jake Paul was able to offer twenty million dollars, then that would likely be enough to persuade him to take the fight.

Similar to the aforementioned Dustin Poirier, Masvidal has failed twice in his attempts to capture a UFC title. It seems unlikely that he will be getting another shot anytime soon. As a result, taking a bout against Jake Paul that pays extremely well may be the most logical step for 'Gamebred' to take.

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#1. Nate Diaz - UFC welterweight

With just one fight left on his contract, it only seems a matter of time before Nate Diaz transitions into the world of boxing. Similar to Masvidal, Jake Paul has repeatedly called him out and, considering the Diaz name value, one has to imagine that the fight purse would be huge.

Diaz is an excellent boxer in his own right, and has stated in the past that he wants to switch over once he is free from his UFC contract. Should Diaz manage to come to terms with the UFC, possibly in a bout against Dustin Poirier, then he will be free to make the move to pro boxing.