The social media sensation, Jake Paul, put his beef with Jorge Masvidal aside for a wide-ranging interview on his podcast.
So how close was a boxing match between Jake Paul and Jorge Masvidal? According to Gamebred, not close at all. He said that when a UFC fighter is under contract, the organization is reluctant to let people go and test themselves under the Queensbury rules. An exception was made for Conor McGregor when he boxed Floyd Mayweather, but Masvidal believes it was due to the pair being the two biggest pay-per-view draws on the planet at the time.
Masvidal and Paul were cordial throughout the interview, but their relationship hasn’t always been plain sailing. Their friendship soured when Masvidal publicly backed his close friend, UFC legend Tyron Woodley, to defeat the YouTube star-turned-boxer, which Paul didn’t take too kindly to at the time. It’s all water under the bridge, as they have patched things up and are now on good terms.
Jake Paul has an upcoming fight against Nate Diaz in the boxing ring on Saturday, August 5, at the American Airlines Center in Texas. Masvidal fought and beat Diaz at UFC 244 to become the first-ever holder of the BMF title, and Gamebred believes that his former opponent should transition well into boxing:
”I think the opening round [between Paul and Diaz] will tell me a lot. He [Diaz] has got great cardio, and I think he will make an easy transition [into boxing]. I think of all the categories you have in martial arts; boxing is something that comes very naturally to him, you know? I think he’s going to be a decent boxer.”
This episode of ‘BS with Jake Paul’ was wide-ranging throughout, and it was interesting to hear Masvidal’s thoughts on fighter pay in the UFC, something the host has openly criticized the UFC President, Dana White, on multiple occasions for in the past. Masivdal had an interesting take on the topic, stating that he always thinks fighters should be paid more; they shouldn’t have to work part-time jobs while dedicating themselves to such a risky endeavor – the fight game. It was Masvidal’s following comments which were more thought-provoking and not something we hear so often:
”A lot of people don’t talk about this. In boxing, you don’t get paid s**t until your thirtieth professional fight. Every other boxer [except Jake Paul], the only way they get famous is by fighting, and they don’t get paid s**t in the beginning. The UFC pays guys at the beginning [of their careers] great, and at the mid-stage, great. Where we need help is in that upper gap, those guys get a little bit overlooked with the pay, but in the beginning structures of it [fighter’s careers], the UFC takes care of guys really, really well, like unbelievably well, especially compared to boxing or any other promotion out there.”
Jake Paul then expressed his opinion on the matter. He said that the issue he has with the UFC’s pay structure is how they only pay their fighters twelve to thirteen percent of the revenue generated when they could afford to pay more, along with having a better healthcare package in place due to being a ten billion dollar business. Paul said the UFC should be paying more than $12,000 to inexperienced fighters on the card.
Masivdal countered this by saying he doesn’t believe the UFC should be paying £30k to unproven fighters because they are unproven and haven’t shown their worth yet. He thinks a fighter’s value is displayed by first proving yourself in MMA’s premier organization. An interesting take, but perhaps a little bit of a catch-22.
Gamebred was then asked about the ‘alleged’ incident outside the Papi Steak restaurant in Florida with his arch nemesis Colby Covington. Understandably, Masvidal wanted to keep the amount of information private, as is customary when outstanding legal matters are to be decided. He didn’t hold back on his thoughts regarding his friend-turned-foe:
”He’s a b***h, and if he was here now, he would run the f**k out [of the studio]. That dude and me will never be cool because he brought up my kids in numerous situations.” Masvidal hasn’t forgiven Covington for this, especially since ‘Chaos’ lived on his couch for eight months while trying to become a UFC star. Masivdal was already an established pro during this period and claimed that Covington turned on him to sell pay-per-views.
Masvidal then reiterated previous comments he has made about Covington in that once he made it to the big time, he never fulfilled his gentleman’s agreement with his and Masvidal’s mutual coach of paying him five percent of his earnings, instead deciding to leave town instead of facing up to his financial obligations. Covington has a different take on the matter, and as the saying goes, ‘There are two sides to every story.’ Safe to say the pair won’t be sharing a beer anytime soon.
Later in the discussion, UFC prospects were on the agenda, particularly Bo Nickal, who has successfully transitioned from collegiate wrestling into mixed martial arts. Masvidal has seen Nickal’s abilities from both close-up training at American Top Team and afar from Madison Square Garden during the NCAA championships. Gamebred is impressed with what he has seen:
”I got to watch him all through wrestling, then I get to meet him at American Top Team, then we get to start training. I was like, ‘Man, this guy is just as good as I thought, or better, you know?’ I can tell when someone is a good wrestler. This guy has got legit talents, [I thought he would] maybe take it overseas and compete for world championships and stuff, so when he did the hard left [turn] into fighting, I was like, ‘This is going to be interesting. I’m telling you right now because I’ve seen him in the room; if he locks his hands on a lot of guys, it’s game over for that round.”
Nickal fights The Ultimate Fighter Season 29 contestant Tresean Gore at UFC 290 in the main card opener on July 9.
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