Donald Cerrone of UFC believes Jake Paul is legit, open to 'big money fight'
Editor’s note: This article was originally published at MMAJunkie.com.
Donald Cerrone is not going to trash Jake Paul.
The former UFC title challenger and retired MMA fighter thinks Paul is actually a good boxer and respects what he’s doing in the combat sports world. “Cowboy” refuses to bad mouth the YouTube star, and actually has positive reviews for his boxing work, which includes wins over Anderson Silva, Tyron Woodley and Ben Askren.
“The Jake Paul phenomenon is kind of crazy, it’s got everyone calling him out,” Cerrone told Thicc Boy Studios. “It’s kind of like the big Conor push. I feel like that’s happening with Jake Paul. Everyone wants in, and I don’t see why they wouldn’t, that’s a big money fight.
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“You can take away (from him). Everyone is saying those are rigged fights, and I think he’s hitting hard. I really do think those are legitimate shots and strikes, and he’s been practicing boxing, and he’s whipping their asses. I don’t think there’s any missed hype, I think he’s got something going.”
As far as a potential boxing fight between the two, Cerrone doesn’t seem like he’s going to go out of his way to pick a fight, but if an offer were to come his way, he’d welcome it with open arms.
“Would I like to fight him?” Cerrone said. “How could I say no to millions of dollars? I would definitely go out there and do it, but I’m not sitting here saying, ‘Jake you’re a YouTuber, you’re not worth a f*ck, blah blah blah.’ No, man. You’re making money and if you want to throw some money my way, I’m with you.”
Cerrone retired from MMA competition in July following a loss to Jim Miller at UFC 276. He’s one of the most recognizable figures in UFC history, at one point holding the company records for fights, wins, finishes, bonuses and more.