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Firas Zahabi lauded Jake Paul and said the YouTuber-turned-boxer possesses the heart of a fighter.
Zahabi was the trainer of former UFC welterweight and middleweight champion Georges St-Pierre and is the current head coach at the Tristar Gym in Montreal.
In a video uploaded to Tristar Gym's YouTube channel, Zahabi was taking part in an AMA session. He was asked about Jake Paul's win over Tyron Woodley last month and the Canadian coach gave his verdict.
"I got to give hats off to Jake Paul for two reasons. He edged off Tyron Woodley and took Woodley's hard shots. He got stunned and came back. He didn't panic and played it well. He actually got smarter during the fight. I take my hat off to him and congratulate him. I take him seriously as a fighter. I said that when he beat Ben Askren. I said guys we've got to accept him as a real fighter."
Zahabi added that everyone should see Jake Paul as a serious boxer now, rather than just a YouTuber.
"I don't see him as just a YouTuber. I see him as a guy who trains very hard, takes it very seriously, puts in the time and energy. He put in the sacrifice and made it. That tells me he's got the heart of a fighter. He's not just putting on a pageant here. I have a tremendous amount of respect and admiration for what he did."
Watch Firas Zahabi speak about Jake Paul below:
Jake Paul pulls Tommy Fury's leg after Dana White refuses to release Jorge Masvidal for a one-off fight
Ever since he defeated Tyron Woodley in Cleveland on August 29, Jake Paul's next opponent has been a big talking point.
A rematch with Woodley couldn't be agreed after the former UFC welterweight champion didn't honor Paul's tattoo bet.
'The Problem Child' then challenged UFC president Dana White to release Jorge Masvidal for a one-off boxing bout. But White wasn't interested.
Finally, Jake Paul has turned his attention to the man who he thinks has the popularity to square off against him — Tommy Fury. Paul has now called out Tommy for going shirtless in a Liverpool nightclub.
Tommy is a British professional boxer and the half-brother of world heavyweight champion Tyson Fury. He defeated Anthony Taylor on the Jake Paul vs. Tyron Woodley card.
