Jake Paul, one of the UFC’s most vocal critics and a strong advocate for fighter pay, has now shared his assessment of Dana White’s new boxing venture, Zuffa Boxing, while raising concerns about the new promotion.
While he wished the company success and praised the idea of helping boxing evolve, the YouTuber-turned-boxer hinted that fighters should remain cautious before committing themselves too quickly.
Zuffa Boxing has generated significant attention in recent months after signing several notable fighters, including Conor Benn, Jai Opetaia, and Richardson Hitchins. Rumors have also continued swirling that Shakur Stevenson and Devin Haney could potentially become the promotion’s next major signings.
During a recent interview with combat sports journalist Ariel Helwani, Paul was asked about the promotion and its latest event, Zuffa Boxing 06, headlined by Shane Mosley Jr. and Serhii Bohachuk, on May 10.
Paul admitted that he was barely even aware that the promotion had recently held another event.
‘The Problem Child’ shared that he had seen Benn fighting on another card, but did not fully understand how the event connected to Zuffa Boxing. Later, reminded that it was part of a Ring Magazine card.
“I, to be honest didn’t even know that they were doing anything,” Paul said. “I saw like Conor Benn fighting on some other card and I thought it was supposed to be tied to Zuffa.”
Paul continued by saying he had barely seen any discussion about Zuffa Boxing 06 online.
“You said they had an event last night, bro. I’m on boxing Twitter,” Paul said. “I didn’t even see this.”
Paul warns fighters to be careful with long-term contracts
Although Paul avoided harsh criticism of the promotion, he admitted he has concerns about fighters potentially signing restrictive long-term deals.
“I wish them the best of luck and I hope that they can help make boxing a better place,” Paul explained.
However, Paul said his biggest concern is that fighters eventually find themselves in situations similar to those of UFC athletes dealing with long-term contracts and pay disputes.
“I just hope that the fighters don’t get screwed over going to sign long-term deals with them,” he said.
“I think boxers need to be very careful in terms of not ending up like UFC fighters stuck in contracts and getting underpaid,” Paul said. “That’s my only fear.”
Paul hopes Zuffa Boxing helps the sport grow
Despite his concerns, Paul ultimately made it clear that he hopes Zuffa Boxing succeeds and continues improving the sport.
“But other than that, I hope they do amazing and put on big events and make the sport better.”
Meanwhile, Zuffa Boxing continues to expand its roster and influence, with speculation growing over possible future signings involving several high-profile names in boxing.
